Slender What?
by Master-Roku
Summary: Ria's a little lonely in the world. When she finally starts to make friends, things get weird. What will life be like with Splendorman and Slenderman coming around? What will she learn about herself and her new friends along the way?
1. Chapter 1

**Halloween Meeting**

Halloween. A holiday in the modern world to celebrate dark creatures, to give and receive treats and tricks, and to scare yourself and others silly. Many people love this holiday and use it as excuse to dress up, have fun, and pig out on goodies. Ria, though 20 years old, still trick or treated and collected as much candy as she could. Having only one sibling who lived in another state left her rather lonely at times, but on Halloween it seemed she was able to make friends for the night as she ran through the streets.

This year, Ria was dressed as an elf. She wore earth colored clothes and had the top half of her hair pulled back while the bottom half hung free. She had on a green cape much like the ones in Lord of the Rings that reached her knees. Her pillowcase was heavy and almost full of candy of all sorts. She was quite satisfied with herself as she bounded over low walls and through bushes towards home. It was late and very dark outside. Only the streetlights were on and all of the decorative lights on houses has been turned off. Without the streetlights, the only illumination Ria could hope for would have to come from a half moon.

Ria's house was on the edge of town, sitting on one of the back roads that led out of the city. She had a huge backyard with an above ground pool and a small vegetable garden. About ten yards from the backyard was the forest. There was a large, well worn path from Ria's yard that led to a clearing. There were two other path's from the clearing that led deeper into the woods and towards a playground on the other side. The walk from Ria's house to the playground was about ten minutes long if you didn't lollygag. Ria spent a lot of time in the woods, finding her own secret hideouts and searching for plants that she wanted to add to her garden. Never once had she had any trouble there. She had never been afraid of any part the city. It was such a nice place.

A scream sounded from behind Ria somewhere. Se looked over her shoulder and shrugged with a smile. Halloween fun at two in the morning? She half expected to see a cop car go by. No car passed her though, and no more screams followed. Ria was almost home when she heard a snapping sound from her right. There were a few trees there that owners has planted in between their houses. Ria stopped.

"Hello?" she called quietly.

A dark figure darted out of site and in the direction the Ria had been walking. Ria gave chase, losing site of whoever it was almost immediately. She kept running toward her house and watching for the figure. Just as she turned the corner to her street she smacked into someone and fell backwards onto the ground.

"Uhff!" Ria grunted.

A whimper sounded from whoever she'd run into. They sounded worried, rather than pained. Ria looked up, and up...and up. Before her stood an inhumanly tall man whose face was hidden by shadows cast by the streetlight behind him. Ria stood slowly and examined him. He was wearing a black suit with large colored spots all over it. They seemed to shimmer and sparkle as he moved. There was a bright red bow tie around his neck. Ria backed up a bit and tried to see his face.

"Who...are you?" she asked.

The man knelt down and held out a hand to her. His hand was strange. The fingers, like his body and limbs, were abnormally long. His hands were as black as his suit, but he didn't seem to be wearing any gloves. Ria looked at the dark appendage, and realized it held an orange and black lily. She blinked up at the now visible face and nearly gasped. He had no ears, no nose, and no hair. His skin was pale and smooth. His eyes were black, sparkly ovals. His mouth was large, with no discernible lips and was slightly frowning. He seemed almost afraid. He moved his hand a bit closer to Ria, shaking it gently. Ria reached out and took the flower carefully.

"Th-thanks..." she stammered, "Who are...you?"

The man beamed at her, his mouth opening into a huge and rather contagious grin. He removed a tiny hat from his head, which Ria hadn't seen before, and bowed.

"I am Splendorman," he said cheerily.

"Nice to meet you, Splendorman. I'm Ria," the girl chuckled.

"It's nice to meet you, too," Splendorman replaced the hat on his head.

Ria noted that his voice was soft and light. It was more than a whisper, but not quite an "indoor" voice. His voice as very kind and sweet.

"What...are you? I mean...I don't know what I mean," Ria rubbed her arm.

She noticed her forgotten candy bag on the ground and bet over to pick it up. Splendorman helped by picking up stray pieces of candy and putting them back in the bag.

"I am a creature from another realm. That is the simplest way to put it. I am here to help make others happy. To spread cheer and joy," his face fell, "But I'm not doing very well so far."

Ria looked at the lily in her hand and quirked a brow, "What do you mean?"

"Everyone I approach is scared of me. They run..." Splendorman sighed sadly.

"You mean...just a minute ago...that was you?" Splendorman nodded, "But...you're so cute! Why would people run?"

"I think they mistake me for my little brother," Splendorman shrugged, blushing lightly.

"You're little-you mean _Slenderman_?!" Ria inhaled sharply.

"Shh! Yes..." Splendorman nodded quickly.

"Do you have to be somewhere?" Ria asked.

"No...not really..." Splendorman answered.

Ria grinned, "Then would you mind walking with me? My house is just a block that way."

Splendorman smiled again. He nodded as he straightened himself up. He offered a shy hand to her, which she took. They headed down the street together, asking questions back and forth. Ria learned that Splendorman had been roaming around for a couple weeks. He'd only recently entered the human realm. He'd spent most of his life going in and out of it, learning about people little by little. Slenderman was indeed his brother. He wasn't much younger than him, but he was much darker. Ria thanked the stars that she'd run into the good brother. She'd always believed in Slenderman, and now her beliefs were solidly confirmed.

Splendorman asked her a few questions of his own. He wanted to know why she wasn't afraid of him. She explained that she wasn't scared of much. Dark and creepy things were something she loved, so discovering a strange creature in the middle of the night wasn't all that weird for her. She was also sensitive, which made it easier for her to tell whether someone wanted to do her harm. She told him that the vibes she got from him were very positive. Splendorman also wanted to know how she knew about Slenderman. She explained that the information that people had could all be readily accessed on the internet.

When they reached her house Ria still didn't want her new friend to go. Splendorman also seemed reluctant to leave, which led to her inviting him in. She found that he could make himself shorter. He made himself about six and a half feet tall so that he could fit into the house without any awkward bending. Ria sat on her couch with him and chatted until sunrise. He was such a happy individual that Ria herself felt happy. It was like he gave off a wave of good feelings. She didn't realize how long she'd been up talking with him until sunlight came through her curtains and nearly blinded her.

"You should sleep," Splendorman said as she rubbed her eyes.

"Aw, but Splendy, I don't...wanna..." Ria yawned.

"I will return here, if you'd like. Later, when it's dark again," Splendy laughed.

"Really?"

"Sure. I don't really have any place that I need to be, and so far, you are the only friend I have made."

"Sweet! I'll see you tonight, then. And hey," Ria had started up the stairs, "If you need a place to stay...I dunno how it works for you...but you're always welcome here."

"Thank you," Splendy smiled

"Just...don't bring your brother."


	2. Chapter 2

**Friendly Advise**

Ria And Splendy spent two solid weeks hanging out in the night hours. Often they would just sit around her bedroom chatting, watching movies, and surfing the web. Splendy became quickly accustomed to media references including movies, music, games, and even memes. When a monitor of some sort didn't have their attention, Ria practiced drawing her friend. He was more than happy to pose for her. He usually snacked when Ria did, enjoying popcorn and chocolate almost too much. Ria found this amusing.

After some time Splendy mentioned to his friend that he was beginning to worry that too many people in the area had seen him. Only one girl he'd met hadn't run away. She'd assumed he was just a guy in a costume and had accepted his offering with a quick thank you. The others he'd approached hadn't reacted nearly so nicely. A man had run, a couple of girls had started screaming, causing their father to come running with a bat, and when he'd approached a child at the park, he'd gotten the cops called. Ria had even had to allow them to search her house to prove that there was no strange man there. Splendorman had apologized profusely for this. If not for his ability to disappear at will he may have gotten arrested.

"Well, at least the last two weeks haven't been boring," Ria smiled.

"Yes..."

"Look, Splendy, if it's that serious then just go somewhere else and look for people. You've hardly had much progress here. Maybe people with the right hearts can be found in another place," Ria hugged his arm.

They were sitting side by side on her bed. Tangled played in the background. Splendy did so love Disney movies.

"What about you?" Splendy asked, giving her a small smile.

"I'll survive without you for a while. I'll be your friend no matter what or where you are. Besides, it'll only take you like two seconds to get back here when you want to. And who knows, you might find an even better friend than me out there," Ria nudged him gently.

"I don't think so...but another friend would be nice," Splendorman donned his hat and stood up.

"So, you're going off then?" Ria forced a smile.

"Yes. I'll be back as soon as I've had some success," Splendy climbed out of the window.

Long, tentacle like limbs sprouted from his back to ease his descent to the ground. They had bells on the ends of them, which thoroughly amused Ria. The limbs were spotted just like his suit. Splendy assumed his more normal height and turned back to the window that Ria was leaning out of.

"I'll see you later, then. Best of luck," Ria's voice cracked.

"Yes, later. I'll miss you until then." Splendy wrapped his arms around her.

Ria returned his hug while forcing herself not to sob onto his shoulder. She'd known him for a short amount of time but she'd really gotten attached. They let go pf each other with one more promise of "later" and Splendorman disappeared into the darkness. Ria felt very lonely all of the sudden with him gone, but loneliness was replaced with a strange pang of fear. She shrugged it off and went to bed, wondering what would become of her friend.


	3. Chapter 3

**Time Apart**

It has been week and a half since Splendorman has seen Ria. He has tried his best in his mission, but with all the fear of Slenderman it is still hard for Splendy to approach people, as they often mistake him for the evil counterpart. On one particular attempt, a girl runs from him, screaming. Between loneliness, pain of rejection and fear, Splendy snaps.  
Leaving his hat and his flower offerings behind, he walks through a dark park alone, feeling something darker than the night sky growing inside of him. He begins to change, losing some of his "splendor" and color, strange tentacle like limbs burst from him. His usual smile replaced by jagged teeth, his eyes gone from merry orbs to red and piercing. He is no longer the creature he used to be.

Splendorman, or what used to be him, continues on an aimless walk. He slams his inhumanly large fist into a wall, angry...with himself. He is not used to anger. He turns to a window where his reflection stares back at him in the night.  
He jumps back a bit, terrified of his own new face. That couldn't be him! Could it? He cannot believe what he has turned into.  
Meanwhile, not so far away, his friend stares into her own reflection in a mirror on the wall of her home. She, unlike him, is happy with who she is. A young woman who has grown out of pathetic self pity and loathing, to a stronger person who understands her own self worth.  
Splendorman remembers her...

Splendorman misses Ria. She misses him, too.  
He finds his way quickly, as most beings of shadows do, back to her house. He knocks on the second story window that he knows to be her room. It was the last place he saw her, spoke to her, and hugged her. Once he hears her move, he panics, running around the front of the house in fear of scaring her. Before he has time to disappear, the front door opens. He stops, waiting, wondering.  
Will she know it's him? Will she be scared? will he lose his friend?  
Will she see a monster..?

Ria's eyes are not as cold as he expected them to be. She does not run or scream. Instead, she lifts something up for him to see. His small, black hat. She smiles up at him and reaches to touch his face.

"You've had a hard time..." she says softly.  
Splendorman lowers himself to the ground, resting on his knees so his head comes to her shoulder. His friend places the hat on his head with a grin. Splendy grins back, his smile and colors restored.  
He understands now that no matter what happens, he will always have his friend. He allows her too climb on his back, now devoid of extra limbs, and he carries her with him to her bedroom window. All is well as he tells her his story.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Odds**

Over the next month Splendorman and Ria had worked out several ways for him to approach people without scaring them, most of which were remarkably effective. Splendor had now made a habit of going off to usually undisclosed locations and fulfilling his "mission" as Ria called it. He would sometimes be gone for days on end, leaving Ria to boredom and that strange fearful feeling. Perhaps she'd just gotten too used to having someone in the house at night. Splendy did normally stay with her, even while she slept. Whether he slept or not was a mystery. Ria wouldn't ask, she wanted to see him sleep for herself.

Ria had been alone for two days when she started feeling creeped out again. This time, she felt it during the day. It was especially odd to her since it was a perfect sunny summer day. A few clouds dotted the sky and children ran around playing with hoses and water balloons. Ria was a girl who loved anything to do with water, but even playing in her pool she couldn't help but feel like she was being watched. She dried off warily, wondering if some perv was in the woods.

With that thought, Ria's defenses kicked in. She didn't like feeling afraid, so when something or someone made her feel afraid, after a while she would react the only way she really knew how. She took action. Ria dressed and headed into the forest behind her house, armed with a machete and an intense feeling of anger. The anger had almost made her forget her fear...almost.

The sun was high in the sky as she trotted long the path, looking all around for any sign of someone or something that didn't belong. She saw nothing. She made it to the clearing and was beginning to feel silly when a rustling sound caught her attention. There was no wind, so there shouldn't have been such a sound from so high in the trees.

Ria turned to her left ad looked into the shady foliage. About fifty or so feet away she spotted a figure. It was very familiar, but not at all welcome. The drawings, the pictures, the stories...they couldn't compare to the real thing. Slenderman was much more terrifying in person. He barely moved. He was suspended by long tentacle limbs so that his feet, or what she assumed were his feet, were off the ground. Ria felt him staring at her, even without eyes. His finger twitched. Ria dropped her machete along with her anger and pride and bolted. She didn't stop running until she was inside of her house with the door locked behind her. She locked all the doors and windows, looking out of each one for any sign of Slenderman. Nightfall was a ways off, but she was still too scared to go back out. She desperately wished for Splendorman to return quickly.

"Aw maaaaan!" She moaned.

Ria stayed in her room for most of the day, reluctant to even go to the bathroom. All of the lights were on and all of the curtains were securely shut. She surfed the web, trying to forget what had happened to no avail. It didn't matter how many funny pictures or videos she saw. Not even yaoi helped. Ria finally swallowed her pride and Skyped her brother, Donovan. He was two years older than her, and worked the early bird shift at a Tim Horton's as a manager. He agreed to a video chat which Ria was grateful for. It was as close to having someone with her as she could get. At least this way if something horrible happened to her someone would know.

"Donny. God, how I fuckin' miss you, Donny!" Ria moaned.

"What's wrong with you? You look like you've seen a ghost...well, you know what I mean," Don asked.

"Oh no, Don...No ghost. Much worse, if the legends are to be believed," Ria glanced at the window nervously.

Nightfall was upon her. Soon it would be pitch black in her yard. Don blinked. It was unlike Ria to act so fearful of anything.

"What's going on? Is someone stalking you?" Don asked seriously.

"Sorta..."

"Do you want me to come down there?!" her brother was already standing, defense mode activated.

"No, no. Y'see...It's not a person..." Ria gulped, "It's a certain tall...slender...guy..."

"You mean-"

"Don't say it!"

"Right...When?" Don asked.

He knew the legends and stories as well as she did. He knew nothing of Splendorman, though. Ria had kept him a secret at his request.

"Just today. Hence me calling you," Ria laughed unnaturally, "I really _really_ need someone to talk to. I'm kinda not used to being alone at night anymore, so it's extra scary now..."

"Yeah I-wait what?! What do you mean? Do you have a roommate?" Don asked.

"No. He's not a roommate. He's a friend. JUST a friend. He spends the night here a lot," Ria answered.

"Right. Well, I'll have to meet him sometime," Don said.

"Sure..."

Ria talked with her brother for an hour. He didn't mind being online with her for a long time. The sky was dark outside her window when she tore her eyes away from the computer during Don's bathroom break. She braved a look through the curtains and saw nothing unusual. She heard her brother return and went back to her desk without closing the curtain again.

"You still alive?" Don joked.

"Not funny asshole," Ria snarked.

Don laughed at her until they both heard a rather loud knock at her window. Ria shot back from her desk so fast she fell over in her chair and skidded a little.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" she screamed.

"RIA! _RIA_! WHAT'S GOING ON?!" Don shouted over the speakers.

Splendorman peered in at her with a look of concern from the window. Ria stared back at him for a moment, letting realization sink in. She stood slowly and gave her panicking brother a thumbs up. He stopped yelling.

"Who's there?" Don asked, breathless.

"My bud. Just...my bud...I'll catch up with you later," Ria said, shutting the laptop before her brother could protest.

She turned back to the window, a look of dark malice on her face. Splendorman twitched and gulped. Ria pointed an accusing finger at him.

"You scared the SHIT outta me!" Ria growled.

She stalked to the window. She opened it so fast it nearly broke. Splendy stepped back a bit. It wasn't like her to act this way. She was supposed to be happy to see him.

"What's wrong? Are you mad at me?" he asked.

"No...no...I'm not mad. Get in here..." Ria reached her hand toward him.

Splendy climbed inside. He shrunk down to fit in seconds. Ria reached up to close and re-lock the window. She drew the curtains closed again with a heavy sigh. Ria closed her eyes for a moment before spinning around to face her friend who had already perched on her bed.

"What is it?" Splendorman asked, now deeply concerned.

Ria ran into his arms suddenly. She sobbed onto his shoulder for a good five minutes. This only caused him to worry even more. Ria had told him her likes and dislikes in their time together. She'd told him what she was afraid of, too. There were so few things that came to mind that seemed plausible to have happened in his absence. He patted her back while she cried. When her tears stopped, she collected herself and told him what had happened in the woods earlier. He stared at her with wide eyes.

"I've been up here, locked away with all the lights on all day," Ria admitted.

"All of them?" Splendy blinked.

"Yeah. Every one in the house," Ria nodded.

"Odd. All the downstairs lights are off," Splendy said.

Ria spent the rest of the night in Splendorman's arms. She even slept there while he sat propped up against the wall. When morning came he prepared to leave with a look of worry on his face. It took Ria three attempts to get him to go. Knowing that he would be back that night made her feel better. He went, and she left the house. She figured that if she went somewhere public she'd feel better. It would be easier to ignore her new stalker.

Her plan did work to a certain degree. The only problem with it was that she'd chosen to go to the mall that was twenty minutes from her home. When the sun got low Ria decided it was best to hurry home. She kept glancing around her the whole way. She finally came to the walk to her front door and sighed in relief. He sigh was cut short when she remembered that _someone_ had turned off the lights in her house. She shook her head and dug her keys out of her pocket. She looked up, catching a glimpse of something in her peripheral vision. There, right beside her house, was none other than Slenderman. As dusk set in the scene was quickly becoming dark. The woods in the background did nothing to improve the atmosphere. Ria's keys made a clinking sound when they hit the sidewalk.

"Oh, c'mooon..." Ria whined.

Slenderman's head moved at the sound of her voice. He slowly started toward her. Ria was frozen like a statue on the spot. Slenderman's tentacle like limbs were spreading out around him, making him even more terrifying than before. All the while Ria stared opened mouthed. She'd researched him, she'd feared him, she'd even respected him, and now she was going to really find out what happened to his victims.

Slenderman wasn't more than ten feet from her when Ria's vision was blocked by two large arms clad in black and spots. Splendorman had her up in his arms and pressed tightly against him in a second. He, too, sprouted the tentacle like appendages like his brother. His were spotted like his clothes and had little gold colored bells on the ends. Ria's fear was replaced by curiosity briefly.

"No, Brother! You can't take her," Splendorman's voice was low and serious.

It didn't sound right like that.

"Right...Can't eat your big brother's friend!" Ria chimed in, peeking over Splendy's arm.

Slenderman had a look of incredulity on his face. Well, that's what it seemed like. He stood rigid and straight in front of his sibling and his would be victim. His extra limbs were flicking like angry cats' tails behind him. Splendorman stood just as straight and wrapped a few of his extra appendages around Ria's form protectively. She felt tiny and vulnerable compared to the two creatures.

"Please, Brother, leave her be. She is my friend," Splendy said.

Slenderman stared at him, then turned his head as if staring at Ria and shook his head. It was as if her was saying "whatever." He shrugged shortly, retracted his extras, and walked off into the forest. Ria thought she heard what sounded like a whisper come from his direction just before he went out of site. It sounded like "Just this one."

Ria looked up into Splendorman's eyes with a hopeful smile. He beamed back down at her. They went inside where Splendy explained that she would be safe from his brother, even if she encountered him face to face again. It was sort of an agreement they'd made without words. Perhaps telepathically. That was all Ria could think of it.

What were the odds of her meeting two such creatures in such a short amount of time and living?

**A/N: Hey so, whatcha guys think? Reviews please? If you wanna see this stuff in comic form, go to master-roku**

**.deviantart**

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**My stuff kinda sucks, but hey...**


	5. Chapter 5

**While Splendor's Away**

Only two months after Ria had met Splendorman she was already used to him and his brother. Slenderman had come back around twice since their first encounter though not even Splendy could supply an answer as to _why_. He just showed up, standing in the woods, staring at his brother and his friend the first time. Then he'd shown up while Splendy was away, too. Ria had been in her room typing up something or other, when he'd appeared in her window. Once she'd noticed him and asked him to leave he'd done so.

"It was _so_ freaky!" Ria told Splendor.

They were in her living room playing a game on her X-Box. They' discovered the game "Slender" earlier and were trying to get over the scares they'd given themselves.

"I don't know why he'd do that. He's not after you..." Splendy shrugged with a small frown.

"Well, if it wasn't for you I wouldn't believe that. It's not like he was acting menacing or anything. He was just kinda lookin' in...Like oh heeeyyy," Ria tilted her head as she spoke.

"My brother is so hard to understand," Splendy smiled.

"Yeah, and _he_ gets the video game. _Bleh_," Ria shivered, "I think the game is scarier than him!"

Splendor laughed at his friend, earning a pillow to the side of his head. They finished their game and prepared to say goodbye once again. The sun was almost up which meant that it was time for him to go. Ria hugged him goodbye at the window as usual at seven. She then clambered into bed after closing the curtains and forced herself not to think about Slenderman or his horrid game.

When nighttime rolled around again Ria was out in her yard playing with the snow. She loved when it was still fresh an sparkled like The Goblin King had been there. Christmas was only a week away. Splendor had promised to spend it with her and she was more than excited. They'd decided to introduce him to her brother and his best friend that day.

Ria rolled up huge balls of snow and packed them tight. She had no clothes for her snowman, but she would make due with what she could find in the yard. She placed her snowman's head on his fat, round body with a grin. She scanned the yard for arms and found them near the fence. Not all he needed was a face. The rocks were buried under the snow...except on the path to the woods. Ria stared through the semi-darkness to the woods. There didn't seem to be anyone there. She took a breath and darted for the path, snatching up the first handful of snow covered rocks she could. She skidded to a halt at the path. There was still no one in the woods. She laughed at herself and bolted back toward her snowman.

It wasn't until she was tow steps from the snowman that she realized that she wasn't alone in her yard. Slenderman was standing right there next to her creation.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAH!"

Ria slid through the snow and then faceplanted in it. She shot up and stared at Slenderman. He stared down at her. Ria shivered, though not from the cold.

"W-w-w-What are _you_ doin' here?" she stammered.

Slenderman reached his hand down to her, extending his fingers. Ria squeaked and moved back from him, glancing at his hand. He wriggled his fingers a little, reaching closer to her. Ria gulped.

"What...wh-what do you...want?" Ria asked.

"Get up," Slenderman replied.

Ria's eyes shot open wide. He spoke. Slenderman spoke...

Ria opened her eyes some twenty minutes later. She was on her couch covered with her thickest blanket. She sat up and looked around. A hot bowl of soup and a steaming cup of cocoa were sitting on the table. There was someone sitting in her recliner with his head in his hands. Slenderman had never seemed so...un-scary.

"Slender..?" Ria's eyebrows nearly disappeared into her hairline.

Slenderman looked up at her, seemingly surprised. Had she woken him? She still didn't know if they slept.

"What's going on?" Ria though for as moment, "Did you bring me in?"

Slenderman nodded.

"And I suppose you did this," Ria motioned to the soup and cocoa.

He nodded again. Ria put her feet on the floor and dragged the soup to herself.

"Thank you," she said softly.

Slenderman shrugged. He seemed very awkward and out of place. He was smaller than normal, to ft in the room, but he was still very tall. His legs were bent up against him even though his feet were on the floor. He was hunched over, watching Ria as she ate the soup and sipped the cocoa. Ria finished her food and was going to get up to put the dish in the sink when Slenderman stood, nearly bumping his head on the ceiling, and took it for her.

"Whoa, pal. What up with being Mister Creepy Homemaker?" Ria questioned when he returned with more cocoa.

Slenderman stared at her again for a while before answering.

"I would never hear the end of it if something happened to you because of me," he said.

His voice was even quieter than Splendy's. It sounded like the way people talk when they want to be discreet around one another. His voice was smooth and, dare she think it, gentlemanly. Ria was surprised. She'd rarely imagined what his voice would sound like, mostly out of fear of giving herself nightmares.

"You mean from your brother?"Ria smirked.

"Yes. We made a pact. I am not to disturb you or cause you harm in any way. It appears I can only do these things indirectly," he nodded.

Ria wasn't sure, but it almost looked like his face moved into what could be interpreted as a smile.

"You mean by scaring the shit out of me by just showing up," Ria sighed.

Slenderman nodded again.

"Wait...if you aren't allowed to disturb me, then why do you keep popping up around here?" Ria asked.

"You didn't seem particularly bothered by me. You didn't ask me to leave permanently. Only on the conditions of the pact could a human ask me to leave and have me comply. Also, I was interested in seeing how you interacted with my brother. I find it interesting, albeit strange, that you befriended _him_...and still fear _me_," Slenderman said.

"What do you mean?" Ria sipped he cocoa.

She couldn't believe she was actually holding a conversation with _Slenderman_ of all people. Only a little while ago she hadn't even known he could speak.

"Well, my brother is more powerful than me. In a confrontation, that would be his advantage...not that he would choose to use it. A kind soul though he may be, he has all the potential to be more frightening and stronger. He ignores his power, though. Keeps it inside, stays who he is. I suppose I can't blame him. If I had that kind of power I don't think I would use it for the price I'd have to pay," Slenderman shook his head.

"Price?" Ria echoed.

"You've nearly seen it. You almost gave your life to keep him from what could have happened," Slenderman pointed a long, pale finger at her.

"You mean when he came back that time..? And was different?" Ria asked slowly.

"Yes," Slenderman confirmed.

Ria thought back to that night. The night he'd come to her house looking different. His face had been contorted in pain and fear. The red eyes and teeth hadn't bothered her. All she'd known was that her friend was in trouble and he'd needed her.

"What is the price he'd have to pay? How did I almost lose my life?" Ria asked shakily.

"If he were to access that power...he would lose himself. He wouldn't be the sweet, friendly person that you know. He would be a shell. Just a body of energy with only malice as it's goal. You could have been on the receiving end of his power when you approached him. While he was like that, even in such an early stage, he could have killed you in a second. Yet he didn't. And here you are," Slenderman explained calmly.

His voice was almost deadpan, but Ria got the message clearly. Splendorman could have killed her. She could have lost her friend. He could have become something horrible. Forget dying. Being a shell for negative energy was way worse!

As if reading her mind, Slenderman said, "You don't care, do you?"

"No," Ria answered immediately.

That was the end of the conversation and Slenderman's visit. Ria waved goodbye to him as he disappeared into the dark. Though it was only about nine p.m. She decided to turn in. The next two days went on as normally as someone in Ria's position could hope for. The only new thing was the addition of another visit from Slenderman. He stopped by and was invited in for a short chat. Ria had asked him if he celebrated holidays. The answer had been "no." She asked him if he would stop by on Christmas and this time the answer was a hesitant "yes."

Now, with only five days left until Christmas, Ria was setting the gifts under the tree and awaiting the promised return of Splendy. The moment the sun was gone and the stars came out to grace the sky, Splendorman was knocking on her window. He had a large present in his hands which he made Ria promise not to open until Christmas. He climbed inside while Ria ran downstairs to put the gift under he tree. She scurried back up and found Splendy sitting comfortably on her bed, wearing a new hat. It was like the ones she'd seen old barber shop quartets wearing. It was made of a light brown material, with a black band. He had a bit of holly stuck in the band.

"I like the new hat," Ria smiled.

"Thank you! Isn't it cute?" Splendy beamed.

Ria nodded. She could suddenly feel Slenderman's gaze on her. Sure enough, she spotted him in the woods. Splendy hadn't noticed yet. Ria thought about all Slender had told her. She looked back to her friend, who had cocked his head a little cutely. She walked over to him and threw her arms around his neck. She nuzzled his shoulder. Splendy hugged her back, slightly confused.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, Sweetheart. I'm fine. I'm just really happy you're back," Ria sighed.

In the woods, Slenderman watched the exchange. For someone with no eyes, he had very good vision. He nodded once, then turned and walked away. He only had five days until he had to make good on his promise and be in close proximity to all the Christmas-y cheer.


	6. Chapter 6

**One The Eve**

Christmas Eve was a busy day for Donovan. He and his friend Ethan had run around all morning getting things together to go to see Ria. The drive to her was only about an hour and forty five minutes long, but they were staying for a few days and thus had a lot of things to stuff into Don's car. Once the packing was finally complete, they climbed in and headed off. Don was excited to meet this guy that his sister had coming around. Ethan, who'd had a crush on his Ria for some time, was also anxious to meet him.

"Do you even know his name?" Ethan asked, brushing his fiery orange hair out if his eyes.

"I know his nickname," Don answered.

He knew that Ethan liked Ria, but his friend would never admit it to him. He'd never tell Ria out of respect for his friend. Plus, he wanted than to do, or not do, as he chose.

"Isn't he living with her now?" Ethan glanced at Don.

"I don't know. She said he spends nights. Sometimes a few in a row. But then he spends nights away," Don shrugged, trying to focus on driving.

"Wait...he just comes and stays nights...Dude!" Ethan sat forward and gawked at Don, "He's a f.w.b.!"

"Uh, a what?"

"A friend with benefits! Think about it. From the way it sounds he's comin' to get some" Ethan said, his eyes wide.

"What?!" Don slammed he brakes out of sock, ending them into a small snowbank.

Don's eyes were nearly out of their sockets. There was no way his little sister would do such a thing! She stood for real relationships. She as no hussy!

"Dude! Take it easy! We'll never find out for sure if you get us killed!" Ethan gasped.

"Right," Don pulled out of the snowbank and got back on the road, "Hold on, we're going to hurry this expedition."

Don pressed his foot down on the gas and got the car up to the speed limit, which was sixty miles per hour. Ethan clung to the seat nervously.

"Don, you can't do the speed limit in the winter!" he whimpered.

"Watch me," Don growled.

Meanwhile, Ria and Splendorman were enjoying themselves in her living room. They were watching the "Santa Clause" movies and enjoying cookies and eggnog. Splendy had helped decorate the house and in doing so he'd shown Ria something she hadn't expected. He could produce glitter on a whim. A wave of the hand and the place was showered with the stuff. This had added a nice touch to the tree and the fake snow that adorned the railing and a few other spots.

"When your brother supposed to get here?" Splendy asked.

"In a few minutes, if he doesn't run into traffic issues. What about your brother?" Ria peeked around the couch to look out the window.

"He probably won't come until nighttime," Splendy shrugged.

"Harumph," Ria huffed.

"Speaking of which, what did you tell your brother regarding that matter?" Splendorman asked.

"I told him the matter had been resolved and that my best friend was here with me if something went wrong," Ria said, smiling.

Splendorman's eyes went wide and he looked down at her with a shocked face.

"I'm..your best friend?" he breathed.

"Duh," Ria rolled her eyes.

She climbed around on the couch and knelt beside him. She looked up into his face which was still slightly shocked.

"You're the best friend I've ever had," Ria hugged him.

Splendorman yanked her into his lap and embraced her tightly. He nuzzled the side of her head as tears flowed down his cheeks.

"Oh Riiiaahh!" he bawled, "That's the n-nicest thing anyone's said to meeee! What a lovely Christmas gift!"  
"Well, you're still getting an actual present, too."

"O-ok. You're my best friend too, you know," Splendy wiped his eyes.

"Good."

By the end of the movie, Don had arrived and was ringing her doorbell furiously. Splendy hid in the kitchen while Ria greeted her rather frantic brother and his friend, who was shaken from the ride.

"What happened to you guys? Were you in an accident?" Ria asked, hugging Don.

"No, no accident. We're fine. Just really wanted to get here to see you," Don cast a look of suspicion around the house.

"What's up?" Ria raised a brow.

"I want to talk to you about this friend of yours," Don took Ria by the shoulder and locked eyes with her seriously.

"Oh?"

"He is just a friend, right?" Don squeezed her shoulders.

"Um, yes?" Ria was confused.

"That's it...nothing else..?" Don pressed.

Ria blinked at her brother. She looked over his shoulder at Ethan, who looked apprehensive. She thought for a moment, effectively making her brother more nervous. Then it clicked. There was only one thing that Don could be thinking that would cause him to act in such a way. Ria gasped audibly.

"YOU THINK SPLENDY AND I ARE HAVING SEX?!" she shouted.

There was a loud crash in the kitchen followed by the sound of a low groan and some bowls spinning on the linoleum.

"So-you aren't?" Don smiled.

"NO! Good God, Don! I told you he's just a friend!" Ria punched his arm.

Ethan peered around the two and stared at the doorway to the kitchen.

"Speaking of which, is you're friend here?" he asked.

"Yeah. Sit down. I'll bring him in," Ria told them.

They did as she said and sat of the couch, removing their outer wear as the went. Ria stopped in the doorway to the kitchen and turned back to them.

"Don't freak out."

Don and Ethan exchanged nervous glances. Ria entered the kitchen where Splendorman was putting bowls back on the counter and sweeping shattered cookies into a dustpan. He looked up at his friend as she walked in. Their eyes met for a brief second before he blushed a deep red and looked down. Ria sniggered.

"Yeah. I didn't expect hat ether," she admitted.

"Please don't take it as an insult but I've never once thought of such a thing between you and I..." Splendy mumbled.

"Neither have I. Species aside, we've only known each other for about three months," Ria laughed.

"Yes. Ahem. Is it time to meet them, then?" Splendy finally looked up, his face a normal shade again.

"Yeah. No extras," Ria pointed to the limbs protruding from her friend's back.

Splendorman retracted them and straightened his clothes out. Ria brushed some crumbs from his jacket with a grin. They then walked into the living room where Don and Ethan were waiting expectantly. They turned to look at Ria and her companion as they walked in. Don's mouth fell open and Ethan shot off of the couch, yelping.

"What the hell is that?!" he shouted, scurrying into a corner.

"Rude! He is Splendorman. My best friend. The one that I've been telling you about," Ria squeezed Splendy's hand.

He was a bit tense next to Ria. He hadn't expected such a reaction. Don closed his mouth. He stood slowly, looking Splendorman over carefully. He walked over to his sister, gave here a hard stare, then held his hand out for Splendy to shake. Splendy shook his hand enthusiastically. Ria motioned for Ethan to join them. Ethan just stared.

"It's...nice to meat you...Splendorman," Don said hesitantly.

"And it's very nice to finally meet you, Donovan," Splendor smiled.

"I'm sorry...But for a moment I thought my sister had been followed by-"

"Slenderman?" Ria finished her brother's sentence.

"Yeah," Don laughed, "Ethan com over here!"

Ethan obeyed his friend. He approached Splendorman and raised a shaky hand. He shook hands with the taller man quickly and gave a half smile. Ria grinned at them.

"S-so, this is your friend, huh? You sure do meet some interesting people, Ria," Ethan chuckled.

He seemed more at ease now. Ria threw an arm around Splendy's waist and squeezed him. He had donned his natural, full fledged smile. His eyes sparkled with joy. Ria knew why he was so happy, besides it seeming to be his nature. He now had two more people he could potentially call his friends. This Christmas eve was turning out rather nicely, and it was barely past noon.

Ria looked at the clock as Don and Ethan engaged in a friendly interrogation. Splendorman happily answered their questions for them, even some more embarrassing ones about how close he and Ria were. Ria smirked. It would be dark in four hours, which would hopefully signal the arrival of Slenderman.

"So, um, there's going to be another person joining us tonight," Ria stopped her brother's questioning.


	7. Chapter 7

**Every Time a Bell Rings**

It was eleven fifty-five and they were still waiting. Ria had spent nearly an hour calming her guests, excluding Splendy. Don had paced the living room floor ranting about how crazy she was and how dangerous her situation was. Ethan had just backed into a wall and randomly spewed "You're crazy" and "We're dead" at her. Splendy had had to wrap his extras around Don and Ethan to keep them from running and make them listen while he explained about the pact. This set off another round of questions from Don. He listened carefully to the conditions of the pact as if he was a lawyer searching for any loopholes or mistakes in a contract.

"Whack the frog?" Ria sighed.

Eleven fifty-eight rolled around. Don had her feet in his lap, while Splendy had her head on his knee. Ethan was sitting in the chair, glancing nervously around. "The Year Without A Santa Clause" was being ignored by the group.

"I don't know. Did he tell you that he would be here at a certain time?" Splendy asked, looking down at his friend.

"He promised to spend the holiday with us," Ria pouted.

"Maybe he'll come in the morning..?" Splendy guessed.

"That would suck," Ria said.

"It'd suck if he came at all," Ethan said under his breath.

Ria sat up. She'd heard what he'd said. She glared at Ethan, causing him to shrink back into the chair.

"If you're going to be rude, you can go home! I invited him because I want _him_ here as much as I want _you_ here! He's not going to harm anyone, so if you've got a problem keep it to yourself or _get out_!" Ria half shouted.

Don and Splendy twitched. Even for Don, who'd known her all her life, seeing Ria get mad or tell someone off was rare. Ria got up from the couch, grabbing her empty cup on the way, and stalked into the kitchen. It was bad enough that she was worried that Slenderman wouldn't show. She didn't need someone insulting him or making him feel unwanted. Not after what had happened between them. She wanted to be his friend, like she was with Splendorman.

Ria absentmindedly filled her cup with warm eggnog. She heard a soft knocking at the window. Slenderman was outside of it, peering in at her. Ria jumped then smiled widely at him. She darted to the back door ad threw it open, nearly losing breath to the rush of cold air that greeted her.

"You're here!" she cried, looking up at him.

Slenderman nodded as he brought himself down to size to fit into the house. Ria led him into the living room where they were met with a range of reactions. Splendy got up and hugged his brother, much to Slender's dismay. Don stood and looked at Ria, unsure of what to do. Ethan just looked guilty and frightened.

"Slenderman, I want you to meet my brother, Don. Don, the ever infamous Slenderman," Ria motioned to the tall figure with a dramatic flourish and a bow.

"N-n-nice...t-to meet you..." Don said, holding out a shaky hand.

Slender looked at Ria, then her brother. He shook Don's hand shortly, giving him a small nod. Don smiled, "Wow," he breathed.

"He's warmer than he looks, right?" Ria smirked, "That guy over there is Ethan. He's my bro's roommate."

Ethan waved. Slender tilted his head.

"I'm so glad you came brother! And right at midnight! Ahaha, this is going to be a wonderful Christmas!" Splendy cheered, slinging his arm around his brother's shoulder.

Slenderman slumped a bit, causing Don and Ria to giggle. Splendy convinced him to sit on the couch with him. Don sat to Slender's left, and Splendorman sat to his right with Ria in his lap. Ethan watched them talk and joke around like nothing at all was wrong or weird. Slenderman was silent, nodding or shaking his head when he was asked a question. He seemed to have relaxed a bit. Don thanked him after Ria told him about how he'd helped her out. Splendy grinned at his brother, this having been the first time he'd heard the story. Slenderman pressed back away from him before he could hug him.

"Why'd you wait until midnight to show up?" Ethan suddenly asked, startling everyone.

"He speaks!" Ria laughed.

Slenderman gazed at the redhead for a little while, as if considering something.

"Ria asked that I spend Christmas with her. I arrived on Christmas," Slender said.

"Wow, precise, much?" Ria tilted her head back to look at him.

Slenderman looked at her. He seemed to be smiling again, but it only lasted for a short moment.

"S-so...Will you be here for the New Year?" Ethan asked, beginning to uncurl in the chair.

Ria blinked ad looked back at Slenderman. Don and Splendy were staring at him, too. Slender cast a glance around a the expectant faces and lowered his head as if sighing. Ria put her hands together in a mock pleading gesture.

"Please?" she begged.

"Only for one hour. I will arrive five minutes before midnight," Slender finally agreed.

"Thank you!" Ria smiled.

"Oh, Brother, you're so generous!" Splendy sobbed.

Everyone laughed, even Ethan. The night went as normally as possible. At about two in the morning everyone went to bed. Slenderman stayed in the living room and Splendy joined Ria in her room. Don and Ethan went into their own guest rooms. Ria lied on her bed in the dark with her friend at her side. Splendy was on his back with his legs resting between the bedposts. He had one arm behind his head, while Ria used the other for a pillow. Splendy's eyes were shut, but he was awake.

"Tomorrow morning is going to be great. You really think Slender will like my gift?" Ria asked.

"I'm sure he will. It has been a long time since he's been shown a kindness," Splendy mumbled.

"Really? What about you?" Ria turned on her side.

"It has not been as long for me. I have you now, anyway..."

"Aw. I'm glad I make you happy," Ria snuggled his side.

"You do..."

Splendorman sighed contently and pulled Ria a little closer. Ria closed her eyes and began to fall asleep. A few last minute thoughts ran through her head.

"Splendy?" she asked tiredly.

She received no response. He was asleep. This answered the question she'd had almost from day one. Her other question would have to wait until morning. If she remembered it.

Downstairs, Slenderman sat on the couch not used to sleeping much, especially at night. He heard footsteps above him. He slinked silently over to the stairs and changed size, bending around the banister to avoid making noise. He poked his head around the wall and looked through the darkness down the hallway. Ethan was out of bed. He was standing in Ria's bedroom doorway, looking in at her and Splendorman. Slenderman couldn't see his face, but he could sense what the young man was feeling. He lifted one foot and stepped heavily but slowly on the bottom stair. Ethan jumped and sprinted quietly back to his room, closing the door with a soft click. Slenderman climbed up the staircase and walked to Ria's room silent as a shadow. He closed her door carefully, then went back down to his post on the couch. If he'd been thinking of sleeping before, that thought was long gone.

Everyone in the house was woken by the sound of bells and cheery singing. Splendor had sprouted his extras and was using the bells to add music to what he was singing. "Jingle Bells" was an interesting alarm clock to say the least. Ria grinned up at him from the bed. He was rosy cheeked and smiling brightly down at her.

"Come on, come on! It's Christmas morning! Time to go have breakfast and open presents!" he tugged Ria's arm.

"Alright already!" Ria laughed.

She slipped on her blue silk robe and followed a very excited Splendy down the stairs. Don and Ethan were already in the kitchen sitting at the table when she entered they were both eating pancakes decorated with green frosting Christmas tree designs ans sprinkles. Ria hugged Splendy, knowing he must have made them before the woke up. He hugged her back, then pulled out a chair for her.

"Been busy this morning?" Ria yawned.

"Uh huh! Brother helped me cook, can you believe it?" Splendy leaned on the counter.

"Barely," Don, Ethan, and Ria said in unison.

Everyone laughed until Slenderman walked in. he looked around at them questioningly.

"Good morning. Thank you for helping Splendy!" Ria chirped.

Slender nodded.

"Hurry and eat so we can get to the presents!" Don prompted.

"You're such a kid!" Ethan rolled his eyes.

Ten minutes later the group had moved into the living room. Don and Ethan were on the couch, Slender sat in the chair, and Ria and Splendor had the floor. Ria sorted through the gifts and handed them off to Splendor to pass out. Even for such a small gathering, there were a good number of gifts. Don and Ria always gave each other about five each. Two of the gifts they gave each other were to make up for the gifts they would not receive from their parents.

Don was the first to open a present, happy to find that it contained one of his favorite books. He thanked Ria with a hug. Ethan was next, opening his gift from Ria. He beamed at her as he donned his new watch. Ria made a joke about him being on time to work for once. Next came Splendy. His gift from Ria was a vibrant blue bow tie and a silk top hat with matching blue band. He squeezed Ria until she couldn't breathe and had to beg for release. Now it came to Slenderman. He seemed surprised when Splendy held out a gift to him from Ria. He took it and opened it carefully. Inside was a new suit. It was charcoal black and sharp. It included a perfectly white shirt and a silky black tie. He held it up. It was the perfect size. He looked at his sibling and Ria.

"Splendy helped me figure out what size to make it. I'm no tailor, but I think it'll wear pretty well," Ria smiled.

"Thank you," Slenderman said, his voice a little quieter than usual.

Now Ria opened a present from Don. It was an art set, complete with sketchbook, pencils, erasers, sharpener, and ruler. Ria squealed and practically pulled her brother off the couch as she hugged him.

They continued opening presents in their already started pattern. Slenderman was surprised two more times when his brother and even Donovan gave him gifts. Once all the gifts were opened and the wrappers were in the trash, they headed outside for some winter time fun. They spent the whole day just goofing off. Splendy got them to sing with him until there throats were sore. Slender didn't sing, or join the snowball fights, or make snow angels. He stayed near and watched the humans and his brother frolic. He was very unused to this, but that was the last thing on his mind. He kept an eye on Ethan.

Night fell on the house and it's occupants, who were very tired by then. The humans had dinner, Splendy nibbled on some potatoes, and talked about their plans for New Years eve. Slender sat out side on the porch, listening.

"Raise your hand if you're getting drunk!" Ria cheered, shooting her own hand in the air.

"Right on!" Ethan followed suit.

Don cast them both disapproving looks.

"You're both underage," he said sternly.

"Oh, Don! I'm allowed to have a glass of champagne for New Years," Ria sighed.

"One-glass-of-champagne," Don pointed his fork at her with each word.

"Fine, fine. Ruin my fun. All because you're a geezer," Ria joked.

"Twenty six doesn't make me a geezer, but it DOES make me the authority," Don smirked.

"Chyah, even under my own roof."

The three of them talked for a while before they headed to bed, too exhausted to watch movies. Splendy joined Ria in her room as usual. Ria was almost asleep, Splendy had conked out almost immediately, when she heard a familiar tap at the window. Slenderman was there, looking in through the curtains. Ria's heart nearly stopped. No matter how nice and friendly he acted, he could still scare the crap out of her.

"What?" Ria asked, opening the window.

"I am leaving. It is past midnight," he said.

"Ok. I'll see you on New Years," Ria smiled.

"Thank you again," Slenderman said, turning away.

Ria reached out into the cold and grabbed his shoulder lightly. He stopped.

"Hug?"

Slender nodded, turned, and put his arms around her. Ria grinned into his shoulder as she squeezed him lightly. She let go after a moment and shivered as she watched him disappear into the darkness again. She heard a soft click behind her. She spun around and scanned the room but saw nothing. She shrugged, figuring Splendy must have bumped the wall or something. She settled into bed and went to sleep with a smile.

**A/N: Reviews? If you haven't checked out the comics yet, please do. I'd like to know what you think. Also, if you like this I have another slenderman story called "Games." Check it out if you like.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: We get a good look at who Ria, Don, Splendorman, and Ethan are in this chapter. But we are also left wondering...**

**Questions, comments...reviews? *wink wink, nudge nudge***

**Resolutions**

New Year's eve was just as fun as Christmas had been. Splendorman was still hanging out at Ria's house and Donovan and Ethan had warmed up to him considerably. Ria was ecstatic when Don told Splendy to call him his friend. Splendy had almost been in tears. So after a few months he was still overly emotional at times, what did Ria care? He was still the cutest most wonderful friend in the whole world.

Everyone had thought up their new Year's resolutions during the day. They'd talked about them a bit, but they'd mostly just written them down somewhere so as not to forget them in the morning.

Ria's resolutions were fairly simple. She wanted to finish her comics by their deadlines. They were going to pay the bills. Ria also wanted to be a good fiend for Splendy and a good sister for Don. She knew they loved and appreciated her, but she really wanted to know that she was worth all of that. Lastly, Ria wanted try to find love. She was young, but she was mature beyond her years. Even a simple girlfriend-boyfriend relationship was fine. No need to rush things.

Ria wrote these things down while listening to the boys have another snowball fight outside. She walked to her window and watched them tear up her backyard. Splendorman seemed to have backed out of the fight. Don and Ethan were being pretty rough. Ria knocked on the window and summoned Splendy to her. He dodged snowballs as he made his way to her window with a wary smile.

"Wanna switch places?" Ria offered.

"Sure!" Splendy climbed in quickly, leaving all the snow outside.

Ria dressed for the war then had Splendorman lower her to the ground from her window. She roared an unintelligible battle cry then ran for her opponents. Splendy laughed and closed the window. He turned to her desk and saw the open notebook there with Ria's list of resolutions. He cautiously took a page from to book and knelt in front of the desk to write. He tapped the pen to his temple for a moment while he though of his first goal.

The first was pretty easy. He wanted to get better at his job. He wanted to be able to make people happy instead of scared. He wanted to make more friends. He was grateful for the ones he had now, but the more the merrier!

Next, he wanted to find a way to thank Ria for all she'd done for him. He'd almost come to think of her house as home, since he was there often enough. Besides that, he'd never felt so _safe _with a human..._because_ of a human. The world he came from could be a downright scary one. The last time he'd been here, he'd had to be so careful. The few humans that he'd befriended had been protected by him, like Ria. Unlike Ria, they'd never made him feel protected in return.

The last resolution Splendy wanted to make was to get closer to his brother. He knew he wasn't all the legends made him out to be.

Outside, the snowball fight was at an end. Ria had whipped Don and Ethan, having the advantage of not already being tired. The trio moved inside to dry off and warm up. Ria went to her room to change. Ethan used the downstairs bathroom. Splendy waited outside Ria's door while she changed. Don gave him a smile when he passed him on the way to his room. Don changed while humming then sat down to think. There was a lot he wanted to focus on this year.

Don's first goal was to be a better brother. He and Ria lived so far apart that it was hard to see her all the time. Since their parent's had been gone, things had bee a lot harder on them. They'd been left the two houses, and not wanting to give up either, had decided to live apart. Ria had owned her own home at age eighteen. Don had done his best to act as a good role model for her, but he was still young himself when it had all happened. He wanted to make his connection with his sister stronger and prove that he was every bit the good brother and friend she believed he was.

Don's second goal was to advance his career. Working to build animatronics and sculptures for B-rated movies wasn't bad, but he wanted to get his stuff in something big. If he could make better money, he could pay off the house and set it aside as a vacation home. Then he could live anywhere he wanted. He could live with Ria, if she'd allow it.

Don's last goal was to help his roommate out. He knew very well how much he liked his little sister. He thought they'd make a nice couple, despite the distance. Maybe if they did get together and Ethan moved in with Ria, he could stop worrying about her so much. He trusted Ethan.

Don met his sister and Splendy in the hallway. They all went downstairs to have some cocoa. Ethan stood up from his spot on the couch and stuffed a piece of paper into his pocket. He joined the others in the kitchen. Ethan had only had one resolution. He wanted Ria. He'd have to gather the courage to do something before that monster did.

Somewhere in Ireland Slenderman was stalking through the barren woods in the dead of night. He stopped and tilted his face, well head, toward the sky. His connection to Ria allowed him to get a sense of what was going on around her. He knew something was wrong. It must not have been directly with Ria, since she herself was in no distress, but it was definitely one of the people under her roof. He had a guess as to who it might be. Slenderman walked forward slowly and disappeared into thin air.

"Everyone ready?!" Ria cried from the living room.

It was ten minutes until midnight and the ball drop. Don bounded over the back of the couch and landed on his feet beside her. Ethan skidded in from the kitchen. Splendy stumbled into the room with his arms full of party blowers and hats. He handed them out and strapped a paper hat to his own head. Don stood by with a bottle of champagne.

"You don't _honestly_ think you'll get Slender to wear that, do you?" Ria pointed to the extra hat in Splendy's hand.

"Of course he will1" Splendy grinned.

It was at that moment that poor, unsuspecting Slenderman walked into the room. He had no time to protest as Splendorman quickly placed the paper hat on his head and handed him a party blower. Slenderman sat on the chair and looked up at his sibling with distaste. Splendorman and Ria were the only ones who could identify the look. He sighed silently and reached behind him. He pulled out a small box wrapped in metallic silver paper. The kind that sparkled with rainbows when it moved. He held the box out to Ria, who took it looking dumbfounded. Slenderman also held out two similar boxes to Don and Splendy.

"What are these?" Ria asked, turning hers to see the rainbows.

"Gifts. I had nothing for you on Christmas. This is to make up for that," Slender said in his soft voice.

"We don't give gifts with the expectation of receiving them! It's not a debt," Ria said.

"I know," Slender nodded.

"We'll open them in a minute. The countdown's starting," Don said.

Everyone watched the balled drop and counted aloud with the crowd in New York.

"Ten...nine...eight...seven...six...five...four...three...two...one...HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

Everyone, save Slender, cheered and hugged. They blew their party blowers loudly and whooped and hollered loud enough to wake the dead. Slender raised a non existent eyebrow at them all. Don poured everyone a glass of champagne. Slenderman, again didn't partake in the festivities. When they all calmed down, Splendy reminded them that they had gifts to open. Splendy went first.

He had gotten a new bow tie. It was ridiculously red and shiny, like that metallic colored spandex from the eighties. Splendy threw his arms and extras around his reluctant brother and nearly crushed him in a hug. Slender hugged him off looking slightly embarrassed.

"Thank you, Brother!" Splendy wailed.

Don opened his next. He had gotten a book by Brian Fraud. It was about all sorts of fairies and goblins. He thanked Slenderman profusely. He'd always been a huge fan of Brian and based a lot of his work off of what he and Jim Henson did.

"How'd you know?" Don asked.

"He's a creeper, that's how. He stalks ya, learns yer life, then takes your job and eats all your pizza!" Ria exclaimed.

Slenderman jerked backwards a little bit. He'd never heard_ that_ theory before. Everyone else laughed. Ria opened her gift now. There was a black, leather bound journal inside. Ria opened it. The pages were not line. They were made of a yellowish parchment rather than standard white paper. The book smelled old and wonderful. Ria also discovered a pen in the box. It was old fashioned with a quill tip. Ria's whole face lit up in a smile.

"This is so cool!" she breathed.

"Write in it," Slender said.

Ria blinked, "Don't I need ink first?"

Slenderman shook his head. Ria shrugged and wrote "Hello" on the first page of the journal. "Hello, Ria" appeared in gray below her words. The letters looked slightly curvy and elegant. Ria looked up at Slenderman.

"You can communicate with me through this?" Ria gasped.

Slender nodded. More words appeared on the page. Don and Splendy were looking at the book now in awe. Slender's new message was "Cross everything out." Ria did just that and everything that had been on the page vamished as she did so.

"Wow," Ria marveled.

"Harry Potter anyone?" Don joked.

"What a wonderful gift," Splendy commented.

Ria looked up at Slenderman with wide eyes. He was still taller than her even though he was sitting. She set the gift down and threw her arms around Slender's neck. She hugged him and was surprised when he hugged her back lightly. He patted her head gently.

"Thank you. So much. This is the coolest thing ever!" Ria said when they separated.

Slenderman nodded, this seemed to be his favorite way to communicate, and patted her head once again. Ria felt a bit like a kid when he did that, but she didn't mind. There was suddenly a crashing sound in the kitchen. Everyone turned toward the noise. Ethan wasn't in the room.

"Ethan?" Don called into the kitchen.

"Sorry. Dropped a cup," Ethan called back.

His voice sounded strange. Don and Ria exchanged worried glances. Splendy was busy chattering to Slenderman, so he hadn't noticed. Don followed Ria into the kitchen where Ethan was sweeping up the remains of a blue mug. He was shaking slightly and was very pale. When Ria touched his shoulder he flinched violently and stepped back from her.

"Ethan?" Ria stepped toward him.

"I'm alright," he said, not meeting her eyes.

Don stepped up to his friend, "Ethan what's up?"

Ethan's head snapped up. He glared at Don, breathing hard. Ria felt a chill run down her spine. Something wasn't just wrong. Something was _really_ wrong. Ethan looked like he'd been possessed. His eyes were wild and slightly bloodshot. He was shaking like he'd been out in the cold. Ria felt scared all of the sudden as if he might try to hurt them.

"I said I'm FINE! It's _you two_ who has the problem!" Ethan shouted.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Don demanded.

"NOTHING! You're wrong! _You're_-_wrong_!" Ethan yelled.

Splendy and Slenderman were in the doorway in seconds. Ria looked back towards them, then at Ethan who was looking rather insane at the moment. Ethan glared at Splendorman, the Slenderman. He pointed at the spot clad male and growled lowly.

"_You_ let those freaks in here! _You_ let a monster and his killer brother into _your_ house! _You_ let a _child killer_ in here! You're friends with someone who takes children away!" Ethan pointed at Ria now.

"That's enough!" Don barked.

"No...no it's not! It won't be enough until she's pregnant with some _monster baby_! It won't be enough until she's riding that thing for all he's worth!" Ethan snapped back.

Ria had heard enough. She had no idea what was making Ethan act this way, but she wasn't going to stand for it. He walked right up to him and punched him full force across his mouth. He stumbled back and slammed int the counter. Ethan slid to the floor with a look of shock on his face. His lip was spit open and bleeding a lot. Ria just glared down at him.

"_Whatever_ your problem is...take it out of my house," she hissed venomously.

Ethan stared up at her looking regretful. For a split second he looked like normal old Ethan again. The look was short lived though. Ethan ran up the stairs and grabbed all his things then ran out the door. Don followed him. He caught up with Ethan at the end of the block and stopped him.

"Ethan! Ethan! What the hell is going on?!" Don huffed.

"Those monsters...I can't be near them any longer. I can't be near you guys any longer. I'm sorry! I-I can't! I'll just go stay at a friend's house for now. I'll find my own way home..." Ethan sobbed.

His lip was still bleeding. He wiped the blood off on his glove. Don put an unsure hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Ethan...they aren't going to hurt anyone," Don said softly, "No one here is in any danger."

Ethan looked right into Donovan's eyes then. His gaze seemed to burn into Don mind like a laser beam. He took a step back.

"Are you so sure..?"

With that Ethan turned and walked away. Don shivered all over though he couldn't feel the icy cold air around him. He jogged back to Ria's house and quickly made his way inside. Ria was in Splendorman's arm, crying. Slenderman was nowhere to be seen.

"What happened?" Ria asked, wiping her eyes.

"He's going to a friend's house. He said he'll find his own way home. I think he means to move out," Don sighed, taking his little sister into his arms.

"What the hell happened? Everything was going so well!" Ria sniffled.

"I thought he was a nice boy. Today it seemed like something had come over him," Splendy said.

"I don't know what happened...but I'll find out. Maybe this was just a bit much for him," Don sighed.

The three of them stayed in the living room for a few hours, just sitting quietly watching movies but not really paying any attention to them. Ria's mind was in two places at once. She was thinking about what could have been wrong with Ethan. She wanted to know where he was and if he was ok. She didn't know she could hit that hard. No matter what he said, she didn't want to lose a friend. She was also thinking about Slender. He'd left without a word. She had been unable to read him when he'd disappeared. What was he going to do?

Eventually the night dragged on and everyone went to bed. Splendy sat up with Ria in his arms and eventually fell asleep that way. Ria wondered how that could be comfortable for him, but fell asleep, too. She wasn't asleep long when she began to dream of a voice drifting through blackness. It sounded like a voice an evil snake might have.

"Coward..." it hissed.

"Who?" Ria thought.

"I'm sorry!" Ethan's voice responded.

He sounded distant and his voice echoed like he was in some kind of tunnel.

"This is you last chance...Coward..." the cold, raspy voice seethed.

"Please...No...PLEASE!"

Ria shot up straight in bed. Splendorman had jolted awake when she's sprang from his arms. Ria gasped for breath. Whose voice had that been? Ria apologized to her friend and lied down with him beside her now. She didn't have any more dreams of that voice.


	9. Chapter 9

**Truths**

It had been two weeks since Ethan had left. Don was home by this time. He and Ria ad been fearful of what he'd find when he got there, but Ethan had never gone home. None of his things had been moved or taken. There was no sign that he'd ever made it to the house at all. Donovan had called the police and made a missing person report. Ria was keeping an eye out for Ethan in her town, but he still hadn't been found. They never found the "friend" that he'd said he was going to stay with.

Ria was on her computer checking her e-mail when Don called her via Skype. She answered him with a small smile.

"Any luck?" she asked.

"No. The police still haven't found anything. They've talked to all his family and they haven't heard from him yet. How about you guys?" Don asked, looking behind Ria to where Splendy was sitting on the bed.

"Nothing," Ria sighed, "Slenderman even looked around. We can't locate him."

"Great. What the hell could Ethan have done that would block Slenderman?" Don shook his head.

"I don't know," Ria stared blankly at the screen.

Later that night Ria was out walking in the woods with her friend. They were silent as they walked, looking through the branches to the starry winter sky. Ria could see her breath in the twenty degree weather. She wondered for a second if that happened when Slenderman was out in the cold. Splendy was smiling softly. He was quite happy with their walk. With all the stress and drama lately he'd been feeling very bad for his friends and wanted to do whatever he could to help make things better.

"Splendy?" Ria smiled up at her friend.

"Yes?"

"I love you."

Splendy stopped and looked sown at Ria with wide eyes, "What?"

"I love you," Ria repeated, "You're the greatest friend ever."

"Ah-uhm...thank you...I love you, too..." Splendy stammered, blushing.

Ria took his hand in hers. Splendy hummed happily for a few moments. He stared down at the top of Ria's head. She seemed to be lost in thought. He wanted to distract her and only one question came to mind. He'd been wanting to ask her for a while now...

"Ria?" Ria looked up at him, "What-what happened...to your parents..?"

Ria looked a little surprised. She turned her eyes away from him and stared down the path they were on. Splendorman wondered if he shouldn't have asked.

"They died when I was seventeen. Car crash on the highway," Ria said.

"I'm so sorry," Splendy said.

"Eh, it's old news now. They weren't home too often, anyway. They traveled a lot. Dad was a pilot, Mom a flight attendant. They went all over the world. That's how they got two houses. The one Don lives in was the second they bought. Don was twenty three and still in college when they died, but he took good care of me. He did a lot of commissions beside his homework and I got a part time job at the art museum so the bills weren't much of a problem. Mom and Dad had left some money behind, but we couldn't access it until about six months after the funeral. Legal nonsense that Don handled like a man," Ria laughed a little.

Splendy held her hand a little tighter.

"When we got the money, Don automatically delegated it to certain places. He put some toward his schooling and mine, he got a car, and then paid off debts we owed for out parents' final expenses. That dried that up pretty quick. I went to college for two years, which was when someone noticed my little comics online and hired me to do a full time one, which you've seen. After college, I moved here to make sure nothing happened to this house. Don still lives there because there's a few payments left on that house. I give him about a hundred a month to help. He's almost done paying now. That's pretty much the whole story of how we got here," Ria finished speaking.

Splendy remained silent after that. The topic of her parents hadn't ever come up before. Until recently he'd believed they were alive somewhere. The way Ria talked had made it sound like she didn't really care that they were gone. That thought hurt Splendorman. Then he thought about how long it had been since she'd lost them. Maybe that was just how she'd come to handle it after three years.

"I hope I haven't depressed you or anything," Ria said, breaking Splendy's train of thought.

"No. I was just thinking," Splendy smiled a little.

Ria nuzzled his arm. Splendy smiled fully now. They walked a little further and stopped when they heard someone else walking toward them. Ria looked down the path, but there was no one there. She turned around and was greeted with the sight of Slenderman lowering himself to the ground with his extra limbs.

"JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!" Ria yelled, stumbling backwards.

"What?!" Splendy turned to see his brother behind him.

"Don't DO that, ya jerk!" Ria scolded.

Slenderman just stared at her.

"Brother, what brings you here?" Splendy asked pleasantly.

"Weren't you having enough fun giving _other_ people heart attacks?" Ria grumbled.

"No," Slender replied.

"Yippee," Ria rolled her eyes.

She tucked herself under Splendor's arm when Slenderman leaned down toward her. She'd gotten a bit cocky knowing she was immune to whatever terrors Slenderman might hold. She was still smart enough to be scared, though. He got uncomfortably close to her face. Splendy pulled her tight to his side.

"I came to give you news about Ethan," Slenderman said.

"What news?" Ria's breath caught in her throat.

"I've seen him here. He was in the city. Not too far away from you. He wasn't alone," Slender told her.

"Really?" Ria and Splendy said in unison.

Slender nodded, "I can show you where he went."

"Let's go."

Without another word, Ria bounded back to her house with Splendorman and Slenderman right behind her. In the third person, the scene might have looked very odd. Ria grabbed a flashlight and her best switchblade. She changed her shirt and pants to black and quickly left her house again. Slenderman led the way down the dark streets. E hadn't been joking when he'd said it wasn't far, he'd meant it. They'd only gone four blocks when he pointed into someone's backyard. There was small thicket of tees behind their fence, and behind that, a tiny shed. There was light coming from the little window in the side of the shed.

"That's where I saw him go last. He was with something then..." Slenderman said more quietly than usual.

"I don't like this. Something feels very bad here," Splendy whispered.

Ria felt it, too. I was that cold sensation down her back and that weird negative feeling she'd gotten round Ethan that last time.

"Not much I can do about it. I've gotta see what's going on," Ria said.

"What do you want me to do?" Splendy asked nervously.

"I want you to stay here. If whatever he's with notices you guys it could be trouble," Ria answered.

"You should not go alone," Slender said.

"Well, I'm open to suggestions," Ria cast a glance at the shed.

"Wait for your brother," Slender supplied.

"It could be too late then," Ria pointed out.

"But..." Splendorman began to protest.

"Why don't one of you go find Don right now and tell him what's going on? You could get to him in seconds if you wanted, right?" Ria looked back and forth between her two companions.

Slender nodded and disappeared.

"Goodie. Splendy, stay here and keep watch. If you see something or if I call for help, then you know what to do," Ria instructed.

"Please be careful," Splendy begged.

Ria nodded and sneaked around the side of the house and through the yard. She desperately wished that the snow wouldn't crunch so loudly under her boots. She wished her heart would quiet down, too. Ria slowly approached the little shed and pricked up her ears to listen for any sign of movement. She stopped herself from looking behind her at Splendy fearing that if she averted her attention for a moment something bad would happen. She kept her eyes forward and creeped around to the little window of the shed and peeked just one eye far enough to see inside.

Ethan was sitting on a stool in front of a long floor mirror. His back was to Ria but she could tell he was in bad condition. His clothes were dirty and torn like he tumbled own a hill. His hair, normally so neat and shiny, was also dirty and looked like it hadn't ever been taken care of. Ethan was shaking from head to toe. Ria caught a gasp before it escaped her lips. What had happened to him?

"I don't understand," Ethan rasped.

Ria's eyes widened. His voice made him sound like he was sick.

"How can...you expect me...I-I...can't..." Ethan sobbed to the mirror.

"You _must_!" another voice hissed.

Ria recognized the voice instantly. It was the voice from the dream. Ethan sat up a little straighter and shivered violently.

"Why..?Why...do you want me to...I can't! I love her!" Ethan shouted.

His voice was so strained is shout was barely as loud as a normal speaking voice. Ria wanted to get a better look at what was going on, but if she moved he'd be able to see her in the mirror. Ethan stood up and wobbled a bit.

"Can't she live...if we get rid of the monsters...Can't she live?" he cried.

"Nooooo..." the voice almost whispered.

"Why?!" Ethan demanded.

"She will not let you get rid of them. She will fight for them. She stands between _me_...and _them_...She is all that stops me from eliminating them completely. I cannot help you until the girl is dead!" the voice got louder.

"Isn't there any way around it? Can't you make her forget? Like you did to me?" Ethan fell to his knees.

Ria covered her mouth. She could clearly see what was in the mirror now. A black figure was kneeling an looking down at Ethan. He had a dark gray face, piercing yellow eyes, stringy, dingy looking white hair. His mouth was far wider than any human mouth, nearly splitting his face in half. His nose was long and pointed. When he spoke, Ria could see tiny, needle like teeth inside his mouth. He looked bulky, probably muscular. He raised one hand and pointed a deadly looking, clawed finger at Ethan. Ria shivered. He didn't seem to wear any clothes to hide the pitch black skin.

"I made _you_ forget because you promised to repay your debt. Our deal was that I would choose _any time_ I wanted to give you your memories back and choose what you would do to pay off your debt! _This_ is what I have chosen, human! I want to kill those monsters...but that girl has to go fist!" the demon snarled, "You must kill her. There is no hope for your love..."

Ethan sobbed on the floor. He looked up a the demon with tears streaming down his face.

"I will attack...and when she finds out about us...which she will...she will hate you...Ria will retaliate and fight back. She will want you dead," the demon chuckled.

Ria felt sick. It used her name. She wanted to run and throw up and punch hat thing all at once. How could Ethan have come into contact with this thing?

"I was a child...when I made that promise. I was stupid," Ethan sniffled.

The demon's hand shot out of the mirror and grasped Ethan's throat in a deadly tight hold. The glass around its arm splintered and cracked, but did not break. It seemed to stretch and follow his skin.

"It does not matter how long ago it was!" the demon roared, "You _will _carry out your end of the bargain, _your love be damned_!"

Ria nearly screamed then. Her cell phone rang in her pocket, gaining the attention of the two she was watching. She shot back from the window and dug in her pocket for the offending phone. The knife fell out and was instantly lost in the snow. How could she have forgotten to turn her phone off?! Don was trying to call her. What horrible timing! Ria snapped the phone in half in her panic and turned back toward the shed.

"Ria..." Ethan was now standing not more than three feet from her.


	10. Chapter 10

** Shout outs: WeskerSlayer99-Thanks for all your sweet reviews so far!**

** Beautiful-Liar360-glad to know my story could make you feel so much!**

**Help Me**

"Ria..." Ethan was now standing not more than three feet from her.

He looked shocked and terrified. Ria glanced shortly to the mirror. The demon wasn't there, but Ria could sense him somewhere very close by. Ethan stepped forward and Ria could see the glint of the blade of a very large dagger. She squeaked as tears of fear pricked the corners of her eyes.

"I'm sorry...Ria..." Ethan sobbed, "It's better than what _he_ would do..."

Just as Ethan began to raise the blade thudding footsteps came from the left. Splendorman was running towards them.

"Ria!" he cried.

The demon from the mirror appeared behind Ethan like a shadow. He opened his mouth and emitted a roar in Splendor's direction. Splendorman slammed into an invisible wall of energy and hit the ground. Lights began to turn on in the nearby houses.

"Do it now! There's no time!" the demon commanded.

"NO!" Ria screamed.

She turned and ran full tilt away from her attackers. She led them away from her friend and across another yard. Ethan, though he looked like he was out of it, followed closely behind Ria, screaming her name. Ria skidded on the sidewalk and made a quick left turn. She bounded down the street with Ethan at her heels. She didn't know where she was going, but she didn't dare stop to think about it. She crossed a street and continued running down the next block. They were going in the direction of downtown. Ria hoped that someone would be awake somewhere.

"Ria _PLEASE_! Don't make this any harder!" Ethan cried behind her.

He was gaining and took a wild swing with the blade.

"HELP! SOMEONE HELP!" Ria screamed into the night.

Dogs barked and lights came on. They came to another street and Ria didn't hesitate to run across it. Neither did Ethan, which was his mistake. A police car skidded on the slippery street and stuck Ethan, sending him flying into a snow bank. Ria fell forward as she stopped and flipped onto her back to see what had happened. Ethan's bloody body was lying in the snow, motionless. Ria forgot how to breathe. The demon that had been so closely attached to Ethan was gone.

Ria scrambled over to her friend. He was barely breathing when she reached his side. Ria leaned over him, shaking with silent sobs.

"Ria..." Ethan's eyes cracked open and found her, almost looking normal again, "I'm sorry..I'm so sorry..."

"Shut up...just shut up...This isn't over yet. You gotta live long enough for me to kill you," Ria said.

The police man was on his radio behind Ria, calling for help. Ria took the dagger and tossed it behind her back. Ethan began to cry, knowing that she wouldn't do anything to hurt him.

"You gotta live, Dickhead. I won't let that demon have you. You hear me?" Ria squeezed Ethan's hand.

"How...how can you care about...me..." Ethan wheezed.

"It ain't easy...but I know you need me...Would you have come after me if not forced?" Ria asked.

"No..." Ethan whispered.

Ethan's eyes rolled back in his head as the police man came forward with paramedics at his side. Ria was pulled away from Ethan, screaming. She hadn't noticed the cars and emergency vehicles when they'd arrived. She hadn't seen the other police come in to help. All she saw was the paramedics carting Ethan into an ambulance. Things were moving so fast yet everything felt like it was going in slow motion. Ria's voice died in her throat when the ambulance pulled away.

"Ma'am? Ma'am? Are you injured?" a police man's voice echoed in her ears.

Ria didn't respond instead, she fainted dead away.

When Ria woke the sun was already high in the sky. She was in her own bed. Ria sat up, looked around, and climbed out of bed. She pulled on a jacket tiredly before exiting her room and making her way downstairs. The T.V. was on in the living room, but nobody was there to watch it. Ria searched the house feeling a bit creeped out by the lack of occupants. She turned the television off on her way to the back door. There was no one in her yard. How had she gotten home?

Ria spotted movement in the trees. She stared hard into the woods, trying to see who it was. The person was too far away to make out. Ria's heart skipped a beat at the thought of it being the demon.

"Ria?" Don's voice made her jump.

"Don! You're here," Ria ran to him and crushed him in a hug.

"I got here last night about an hour after I called. I've got two speeding tickets," Dons wrapped his arms around her.

"Moron," Ria sighed.

"Are you alright?" Don asked, holding Ria at arms length.

"I'm fine. Did you see Ethan? Is he alive?" Ria's voice cracked.

"Yeah. He's in the ICU right now," Don answered.

Ria choked back tears. Ethan had lived through the night. It was a start at least. After a quick breakfast Don drove Ria to the hospital. He told her on the way that Splendorman had been at the house during the night, but left in the morning. He hadn't seen Slenderman since he'd told him what was going on. Ria barely heard her brother talking to her. The demon's voice was echoing darkly in her mind. The image of him reaching through the mirror and grabbing Ethan burned in her brain. She shook the image off when they got out of the car and walked into the sterile smelling hospital. A nurse directed them to Ethan's room. Since only one person could go in at a time, Ria went.

Ethan was awake in his bed. There was an I.V. in his arm and oxygen tubes in his nose. Ria sat beside him gently on the bed. He blinked slowly at her, clearly exhausted.

"Hey," he whispered.

"Hi," Ria smiled.

"You shouldn't be here," Ethan warned.

"I don't care. Is that thing here?" Ria asked, looking around the room.

"No. I think he's waiting. He'll fall back...then return when you don't expect him," Ethan said, wheezing.

"I'll wait, too," Ria said firmly.

"You shouldn't..." Ethan began to cry.

"I don't care. That thing wants you to kill me for a reason. He said I'm the only thing in his way. There's got to be a reason for that," Ria hugged Ethan lightly.

"If you die..." Ethan sobbed.

"Then I'll die defending you," Ria said, placing a feather light kiss on his temple.

They sat in silence for a while after that. Ria held Ethan in her arms while he cried and whispered reassurances to him. A nurse came in to tell Ria that it was time for her to go. Ria nodded and stood up, turning to leave another kiss on Ethan's cheek.

"They're going to put me in a mental hospital after this," Ethan said before Ria moved away.

"Better than prison," Ria said.

"Have the police spoken to you?" Ethan asked.

"Not yet. I'll see to it that you don't go to jail," Ria gave him a thumbs up and a cheesy smile.

** A/N: Whoa shit! What will happen now?**


	11. Chapter 11

**Think About It**

Don was waiting in the hall when Ria came out of Ethan's room. Two police officers were with him. Ria took a deep breath and approached them, already working on her answers before they could ask their questions. An hour later, Don and Ria were back home eating dinner. Ria told her brother everything she'd seen and heard as well as what she and Ethan had talked about in the room. Don listened to her in silence. His whole body grew more tense with every word she said. All these years, neither of them had known. Technically, Ethan had forgotten. What kind of monster was attached to their friend, and why was Ria a potential threat?

"How long can you stay?" Ria asked her brother.

The sun was low in the sky. It was sinking below the horizon lazily, painting the cloudy winter sky with many hues of blues, purples, pinks, and golds. Don and Ria, who were sitting on the back porch, should have been marveling at the beauty of the world. Neither of them really cared right then.

"Just for tonight. I have work to do. I'll be changing my schedule so I can have some days off, but until Thursday I've got to work," Don replied.

"Damn those doughnuts," Ria kicked some snow off of the railing.

Around ten o' clock that night Splendorman arrived. He seemed as happy as usual. Ria was grateful for that. She didn't want to bring such a positive creature down with such personal problems. No, that wasn't right. That demon wanted Splendorman dead.

"Where ya been? Out making people happy?" Ria asked after they'd hugged.

"Yes. Have you seen Ethan?" Splendy asked.

"Yeah. He'll be fine. As for the demon, he's waiting in the wings for something," Ria said.

"I just hope he keeps waiting until I can get back," Don groaned.

Ria looked sadly at her brother. As if. That demon didn't seemed to be concerned at all with Donovan. He hadn't come up once back at the shed. Ria suddenly found herself almost anxious for her brother to leave. She'd feel better if he wasn't so close to her, where he might get hurt.

"I doubt it, but maybe with Ethan in the hospital, he can't get around. If he's attached to Ethan like we think he is..." Ria trailed off.

"Yeah, let's keep our fingers crossed," Don sighed.

"All of them?" Splendy asked, holding up eight hands and wiggling his fingers.

They all laughed. It felt very good to laugh again. It had been a week since any of them had actually done it.

Ria was alone with Splendy the next day. Don had gone home for the next three days. Ria was researching demons on the internet while Splendy set up her checker board. Ria was having no luck finding information on their demon when Splendy called her to join him. Ria sat indian style on her bed across from him. She had the black checkers, as always. Splendy made the first move, sliding his piece directly to the side of the board. Ria smiled. He liked to play it safe at first.

As the game progressed, so did Ria's ideas. Maybe she could call the demon out and find out just what it wanted. What were the chances of him telling her anything?

Splendy took one of her pieces.

Perhaps and exorcism was the answer...but no one was possessed. Not even an object or a home. The demon could make Ethan forget about him and hide away for long periods of time. If he knew a priest was coming he would probably hide again. Or maybe he'd just kill the priest.

Splendy now had three of her pieces.

Ria thought hard. What about her made her an obstacle to a demon? She didn't have any special powers. She was a human girl, nothing more. She'd never hunted ghosts and the like. She had certainly never performed and exorcism or anything. All she could do was sense things. Sometimes she could see things if they were strong enough or if she paid close attention. She'd sensed something was wrong with Ethan before the demon had shown himself. Did that mean something?

Ria took one of Splendy's pieces.

So she could see and sense things. Big deal. It didn't make sense that something so simple would be a threat of any kind. The only other thing she could do that was of any significance was call on Splendy or Slenderman when she wanted. That was something they allowed her to do. There had only been one point in her life before Halloween when she'd had a similar experience.

Ria took another piece.

She'd seen a little shadow faery in her backyard when she was little. It had been a nasty encounter. The thing was very mean and had tried to slice Ria with little claws. When Ria had shouted for it to go away, it had simply gone. Ria gasped a little.

"King me," Splendy said triumphantly.

Ria did as her friend requested, no longer paying attention to the game. Maybe she'd underestimated herself. Maybe her energy _did _attract strange creatures. Maybe...just maybe...it could repel them as well. It was worth a shot. Ria stood up clapping her hands as the wheels in her head spun wildly.

"Ria?" Splendy looked at her.

"I've got an idea," Ria smiled.

"What is it?"Splendy asked.

Ria told him about what had happened when she was young. She ran her idea by him and waited for a reaction. Splendorman scrunched his face a bit and stared at the floor while he thought about what she was telling him. While waiting for him to respond, Ria picked up on Slenderman's presence. She opened her window and leaned out waving to Slenderman who was walking toward her from the trees.

"What brings you here?" Ria asked.

"I felt that you two were up to something," Slender answered.

He entered her room and looked down at his brother. Ria told Slender what she'd told Splendy. Slender didn't react at first. Splendy spoke up finally, breaking a potentially awkward silence.

"This is not a good idea," he said.

"Of course it's not. But do you have a better one?" Ria asked.

"No...but that doesn't mean you should try to deal with that demon by yourself!" Splendy protested.

"I don't see another option coming up. I know that it wants me dead, but won't do it itself. I know that it wants you dead, and I won't let that happen. I have to try," Ria said.

Slenderman had Ria pinned against a wall before she could blink. His had went around her neck. Ria gasped and waited for him to choke the life from her. He never did. His grip on her neck was loose, only holding rather than restricting. The knuckle of his thumb moved to tilt her head up to look at him. Splendorman was on his feet, standing by in case Slenderman did something to harm her.

"Just what do you plan to do if you manage to get that thing to come to you?" Slender hissed.

Ria trembled. That voice was like the one she'd imagined before she'd heard his real one for the first time. It was even more terrifying than she'd imagined, though. It rang in her head as if it was her own thought.

"I-I-...I was...w-working on that," Ria stuttered.

"You work your way toward your own _death_! We can't help you when you get near that thing! You know that!" Slender shook her a little, causing her head to bounce off the wall.

Ria whimpered. The bump hadn't hurt, but the sudden jerk had startled her.

"Brother!" Splendy yelped.

"What would you do if that thing got you alone and your idea failed?!" Slender demanded, his voice growing louder that she'd ever heard it.

"I don't know," Ria said, barely above a whisper.

"What would you _do_?" Slenderman repeated fiercely, "If you were wrong? What would you do if it came for your friend again? Or_ us_?"

Ria closed her eyes and willed herself not to cry. She hiccuped. Splendorman said something in the background, but Ria didn't hear it and his brother ignored him.

"Do you realize how dangerous this _entire_ situation is?!" Slender's voice grew quiet, but not less ominous.

"Brother..." Splendy reached for Slender's arm, which was jerked away.

"She has to understand!" Slenderman insisted.

"I _do_ understand," Ria mumbled.

"Then why do you still want to do something so blatantly dangerous?" Slender asked.

Slenderman's hold tightened on her. He gripped her throat harder. Splendor grabbed his brother's arm, trying to pull it off of his friend. It was no use. Slender would not budge. His face was close to Ria's. If he'd had a nose it would have been touching hers.

"Why?" Slenderman demanded again, squeezing her arms.

"BECAUSE I DON'T _CARE_!" Ria yelled.

Slenderman's grip stopped getting tighter. Both of the males stopped moving completely. Slender backed his face away from Ria's after a moment.

"You don't care?"

"NO! I'll fight him with my bare hands if I have to, tooth and nail! I'll do whatever it takes to stop him!" Ria growled, forgetting her fear of the one who held her captive.

"You would very likely lose your life doing something so foolish," Slenderman said, bringing his face close to her again.

"I-_don't_-care! The ones I love are worth it. You guys are worth risking my life! So is Ethan. Besides, death isn't the worst possible outcome," Ria said flatly.

"You really think that's true?"

Ria didn't respond. Of course she thought it was true! She'd said so!

"You would give you life to save another?" Slenderman ran his thumb along her cheekbone.

"Yes."

Slenderman released her and sat on her bed. Splendorman pulled Ria to him. Ria nuzzled his chest. She was shaking like a leaf in his arms. She looked over Splendy's arm at Slender, who seemed to be deep in thought. Splendy sat on Ria's computer chair with Ria in his lap.

"Slender..?" Ria said softly.

"I think..." Slender turned his head to look at the girl, "You will be successful."

"What?" Ria and Splendy asked together.

"I know what the demon is worried about. I can see it in your eyes. Your heart is strong. There is something different about you. We should have seen it before."

"Seen what?" Ria asked.

"The commanding presence you bring. The strength you hold in your heart that cannot be touched," Slenderman pointed at her.

"I saw it before..." Splendy spoke up, "I did not think it was so powerful."

"You really think I have a chance at getting rid of that thing?" Ria held Splendy's hand.

"Yes. You still risk your life in doing so," Slender nodded.

Ria sighed. Donovan would kill her anyway once he knew what he was up to this time. Splendy sighed, too. He snugged her like a teddy bear. Ria knew he didn't want her to do this. Slenderman just watched her for any signs of regret or fear. There were none. She was set on it.

"How can I get this thing to come to me?" Ria wondered aloud.

"Call it. The same way you would call me," Slender said.

"You think that'll work? I don't even know its name," Ria shook her head.

"It's best that you don't, knowing its name would give it power over you," Splendy said, poking the top of Ria's head.

"Right...so call him...then what?"

Ria and he two friends spent the next couple of hours trying to figure out a battle plan. Don called to let her know he'd made it home safely and Ria's conscience bit at her when she hung up. There was no way he could find out about this. It hadn't even been a full day since she'd been attacked, and now she was looking for a fight.

Ria searched the internet for any old stories or legends that described battling demons. None of the articles she found were helpful. Slenderman and his brother offered all that they knew, which was a lot. Ria couldn't use much of what they told her, since it usually involved using an ability that only they possessed. The best she could do that they suggested was create a binding circle and trap the demon in it with her. Ria hated that idea, but it was the best they had. The guys showed her how to draw it and went with her to the clearing to make sure she did it right. Splendy helped her clear the snow from the area so that she could draw on the earth. They had to stay a ways back while she drew, lest they become trapped inside themselves.

When everything was ready, Ria asked her friends to leave. Splendorman had many protests to her request, but left in the end. He could not stay if asked to leave. Slenderman stayed for a moment longer than his elder brother. He put a hand atop Ria's head for a moment.

"Best of luck," he said.

"Thank you," she smiled weakly.

Now she was all alone in the clearing. Though the sun was out and the environment was almost blindingly bright, Ria felt as if she'd been left alone in a dark room with no flashlight. She stepped into the circle and stood directly in the center. She closed her eyes and focused hard on the face from the mirror.

"Demon...who torments my friend...I command you-come forward!" Ria said aloud.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, without warning, a black mist burst out of nowhere and the demon was standing in front of her, grinning madly. Ria had been right to think that a smile would split his face in half. He was nearly nine feet tall and just as bulky with muscles as she'd imagined. Ria stood her ground as he tossed his head back and laughed.

"How very foolish," the demon chuckled darkly.

"Of you," Ria smirked, pointing to the markings on the ground.

The demon's eyes widened at the sight, then locked onto Ria's face. He glared at her, furious.

"Big mistake."

** A/N:Who loves cliffhangers?! (O.O) (O.O)...No one? Oh well, guess it just means you'll have to hang in there...get it? Ok, enough with that lame jokes. S*%t's about to go down! How do you think it will go? Reviews equal love!**

**Btw, I've mentioned before that I draw this stuff out, so I wanna take a poll. Which character would you guys like to see first? I've already done Ria, Splendorman and Slenderman. So, should it be Donovan, Ethan, or the demon? Comment to let me know!**


	12. Chapter 12

** A/N: So, I hear people no liked the last cliffhanger. Well, I hope this makes up for it. So, before we start, a shout out! BTW, please reviews if you like, or if you didn't. I really didn't know how this chapter was going to go.**

** Splendyandslendy - Your review made me cry. Jerk! But thank you. I'm proud to have done something so well. I hope you can continue to enjoy this!**

**A Different Kind**

"Mistakes are meant to be made from time to time. That's how people learn some of the best lessons in life," Ria said slowly.

The demon grinned at her. He hunched over a bit so that his face was almost level with hers. Ria stood her ground even though she wanted desperately to run. She couldn't run now. She'd sealed herself in with this thing. She'd chosen to fight and if she gave up it would cost her the people she loved the most.

"You can only learn a life lesson if you _have_ a life to live! You will not be alive for more than a few minutes...If I choose to let you keep breathing for that long," the demon laughed.

"It's not up to you to decide when I die," Ria snapped.

"So sure," the demon launched at her without warning. Ria ducked and tumbled forward under him.

The demon sailed overhead and smacked into an invisible wall. The edge of the circle had stopped him. Ria almost laughed before he got up from the ground, growling. He turned on Ria suddenly looking absolutely furious and feral. Ria backed up until she herself met with the border of the circle.

"What do you even know about the boy you're trying to save? You heard that he made a deal with me, but do you know what that deal was?" the demon asked.

"I suppose you're about to ell me," Ria huffed

"When he was young he asked me to do something for him. He wanted me to kill his mother's boyfriend, so I did. He didn't like abusive ol' Mike, so he had me do him in. In exchange he had to return me a service that I wold choose, right down to _when_ he would do it. Your little Ethan isn't just some sweet thing. He's as good as a killer!" the demon laughed.

Ria brought her foot up as fast and as hard as she could into the demon's jaw. His head snapped back and he stumbled a bit into the barrier.

"That...hurt...I'm going to _kill_ you for that..." the demon hissed, sounding dangerously calm.

"Right," Ria shivered, "But before you do...I have something to ask you."

"I suppose I could grant a last request," he rumbled.

"Tell me your name," Ria said.

The demon froze up as if he was in shock. His eyes burned into Ria's but she couldn't look away. There was something in his eyes that didn't belong there. Something human. An emotion...could it be?

"You do not deserve to hear my name..." the demon paused for a long time, never breaking eye contact, "I _will_ tell you, though...since you are going to die..."

Ria blinked. There _was_ something odd going on behind his eyes.

"My name...is R-I-I-S...Riis," the demon said at last.

Ria took a step back. She heaved in a huge gulp of air and burst out laughing. She laughed so hard she could barely stand. The demon's jaw fell wide open in shock. He glared at her so hard she physically felt it and emitted a roar that was sure to shake the windows of her house. Ria didn't stop laughing. She instead pointed at her enemy with tears in her eyes and laughed some more before she regained the ability to speak.

"Riis? Like Reese Witherspoon? Or Reese peanut...butter-cups!" Ria guffawed.

The demon was looking at her as if she'd lost her mind. Ria stopped her laughter and stood up straight. She grinned stupidly at the Riis.

"And here I thought I was at least gonna hear something cool," Ria wiped some tears from her eyes.

"YOU _DARE_ MOCK A ME?! YOU MUST BE INSANE!" Riis bellowed.

"Such a demon...that is afraid of a human..." Ria laughed little.

The demon charged her again. Ria rolled to the side this time. Almost all her fear of the demon had been destroyed in the moment he'd told her his name. She knew now what she'd seen in those haunting eyes. It was unbelievable that she'd been so afraid of him. He was big, ugly, and fearsome, but he had a weakness.

Ria dodged Riis' powerful hand twice more before he stopped to growl and glare at her. Ria was sitting on the ground halfway through another roll.

"I _am_ insane, you know," Ria smiled.

"To act so fearless...you would have to be," Riis snarled back.

"Acting fearless? Isn't that exactly what you've been doing this whole time?" Ria smiled darkly, "All this time...you've been preying on my friend, making him scared of you. When you were scared of _me_ the whole way through."

Riis laughed now, shaking his head.

"You think I fear _you_?!" he crouched down on one knee.

"I _know_ you fear me. At first, I didn't know what to think about you saying I was in your way. I thought maybe you just wanted me dead for the hell of it. But a minute ago, in your eyes, I saw it!" Ria tapped the side of her face next to her eye.

Riis didn't say anything. He licked his sharp teeth and growled lowly as he prepared for another attack. Being so large in such a small place wasn't exactly advantageous for him. Ria was able to dodge him because he couldn't maneuver around the space like she could.

"If you're going to stare someone down, you might want to make sure you're able to hide the truth from your eyes. A demon of all things should be able to do that. To think humans have beaten you at your own lying game," Ria mocked him.

"If humans are such good liars, then maybe they make good demons themselves!" Riis roared.

"I guess so," Ria said simply.

Riis' eyes widened a bit. Ria kept a straight face and an even tone.

"So...what would that make you, _Riis_? If humans are better demons than you...If someone like me can hold a power that even you don't...If someone like me can strike fear into you without even trying...doesn't that just make you..." Ria paused purposefully, "_Worthless_?"

Riis threw his head back and roared. Ria twitched at the sound but did not move an inch. When the demon's eyes came back down to her they were glowing a faint red. He was drooling and shaking with anger.

"You think _humans_ are better than _me_?!" he growled, "Let me tell you a little secret! Not all humans are as crazy as _you_! You are different. _You_ are a different kind of person! You were so lucky as to be born with something different than others. Something no other human will have again for a very long time. You _might as well_ be a demon yourself for what you have!"

"Oh?" Ria was genuinely curious now.

Riis got back on both feet to prepare for another attack. Ria remained seated on the icy ground.

"What was I born with?" Ria asked.

"You were born with a _different kind of heart_! One that has abilities and capacities beyond normal humans'. That is all you have, and I'm going to rip it from your body and burn it in my hand!" Riis came flying at her.

Ria sat still and lifted her right hand up in front of her. It came into contact with Riis' forehead as be barreled at her. Ria's wrist was broken as Riis' body stopped moving, pushing her back a few feet on the ground. Ria cried out shortly. Riis struggled to move but it was as if his body had been trapped in cement instead of air. Ria grinned at him despite the pain shooting up her arm.

"What...is this?!" Riis choked out.

"This is what you were afraid of," Ria's voice was strained now.

Every second that she kept in contact with the demon she had to hold him in place with all her might. With broken bones it wasn't easy.

"You are not welcome here!" Ria panted, "You are not welcome with my friend! You don't belong on this Earth with us!"

"Shut up!" Riis yelled, his voice now losing its edge as he panicked.

"You have no place here, demon!"

"St-stoooop!"

"GET OUT!" Ria commended with more power than she'd ever used in her life.

A bright flash of yellow light burst from their contact point. It burned Ria's palm and forced it away from Riis. Riis screamed in pain. Ria watched the light overtake his body and disintegrate it. Within seconds he was gone. Ria laughed and cried at the same time. Just like that, it was over.

Ria wobbled and stood up. She walked to the edge of the circle and kicked the ground hard, tearing the design up. The entire circle disappeared into the ground. Snow fell there and began to build up. Ria hadn't noticed it was snowing. It probably had been the whole time outside of the circle. Her footprints were almost covered now. Ria walked toward her house, crying the whole way. The experience finally caught up with her in the cold. Snowflakes mixed with her tears. Her wrist and arm hurt terribly. She felt weak from using so much energy on the demon. She was hungery, tired, sad, and happy all at once. It became too much, and for the second time Ria fell unconscious into the snow.

The first thing Ria saw when she woke was a pale blue curtain. She was in a hospital bed covered with two thin blankets. She was in her own pajamas which told her that Don must have been there. Ria sat up and winced. Her wrist was in a cast. Bandages were wrapped around her fingers.

"Hello?" Ria called weakly.

Her throat was unbearably dry. She looked around for something to drink but the bedside table was empty. Ria heard a gasp from the other side of the curtain and it was nearly ripped from its hooks as Don flew to her.

"Don..." Ria smiled momentarily.

Ria's smiled vanished when she got a good look at her brother's expression. He was furious. Don balled his fist and punched Ria right in the face.

"You idiot!" he said, keeping his voice low so as not to attract a nurse, "What the _hell_ were you thinking?! I almost lost you because you had to go behind my back and pull a fucking stunt like that! What's _wrong_ with you?!"

Ria's eyes stung with tears. She touched a hand to her already swelling cheek. She sobbed once under her brother's intense glare.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do," Ria sniffled.

"Didn't know what else to do?! If you'd _waited_ you might have come up with something else! What if that crazy scheme of yours hadn't worked?" Don demanded.

"But it _did_ work," Ria protested.

"Do you have any idea how to be afraid?" Don's voice raised.

"I was plenty afraid!" Ria yelled back.

Don stopped glaring. His face went blank then turned sad.

"I was terrified the whole time! I knew it was only a chance even before I called it there! I was scared...I knew that if I lost...it wouldn't just be _my_ life. My life didn't matter to me as much as yours. Splendy...and Slender...Ethan. You guys all mean more to me than my life. So, _yeah_, I know how to be scared. I was damn scared that I was going to lose you! Even if I had died, at least I would have died defending you! And you know how stubborn I am. I'd have come back to haunt that demon and fight him on the spiritual plane..." Ria smirked.

"You're an idiot. No wonder Mom and Dad were so proud of you," Don said, yanking Ria into a tight hug.

The siblings held onto each other for several minutes, ignoring the nurse and doctor that came in to see what the yelling was about. When they stopped hugging they held hands and refused to let go.

"What happened to your face?" the doctor asked concernedly.

"I fell out of bed like a moron," Ria lied.

Ria went through a slew of questions and minor tests and instructions over the course of an hour. She nearly fell out of bed for real when she was told that she'd been out for nearly two whole days. Don stayed at her side the whole time, keeping her calm. She sighed deeply when the release papers finally came and Don helped her get dressed. He helped her into the car and drove away from the hospital with a smile.

"I'm so glad I'm going home. How did you find out anyway? How'd I get to the hospital?" Ria asked.

"Slenderman dropped you off. Splendy came and told me. Of course this was all after you'd gotten into it with that thing, _jerk_," Don said.

"Sorry. I made the guys promise not to tell you until it was over," Ria shrugged.

"How did you do it anyway?" Don asked.

"I'll tell you later. Right now, we gots to get some foods. IIIIIIIII'M hungry!" Ria announced loudly.

Donovan laughed at is little sister. She was really something else. He knew that wherever their parents were, they were proud of her. He sure was.


	13. Chapter 13

** A/N: So, I keep getting requests to put Splendor and Ria together...People keep asking if I plan to put them in a romantic relationship. Well, here's your answer. Dun dun dun dun dun dun...it's a secret! Keep reading to find out!**

**Moving On**

Two weeks after the accident, Ethan was moved to Golden Recovery Center. It was just an hour away from Ria's house. Ho long he'd have to stay had not yet been determined. After a few tests, he'd get an answer. Ria and Donovan spent his first day with him learning the facility as much as he did so they wouldn't get lost on visits. Don was outside talking to his manager on the phone while Ria sat with Ethan in his little room. The place was homey, but it wasn't really _home_.

"March already...I give it six months tops til you're outta here. Then maybe a year of counseling. If you're smart," Ria said.

"You think I'll get it that easy?" Ethan watched Don from his new window.

"Yeppers. With the story we gave them, if you stick to it, you'll get it pretty easy. Just, y'know...don't freak if Slendy or Splendy come to call," Ria joined him.

"I won't. I'll know they're checking up on me for you," Ethan smiled softly.

He'd now gotten used to seeing Splendy almost every time Ria had come to visit him. Slenderman had come with her a couple times as well. Without the demon in his head he found it much easier to warm up to them and trust them like Ria did.

"Yeah, I _really_ need to get a car of my own," Ria sighed.

"Yeah, you do. Don's going to go batty if he has to keep coming to see you. He really misses having you over at his place," Ethan told her.

"I'll spend some time there soon. Just been so busy what with the Splendy and Slendy stuff...and _Riis_,"Ria laughed a bit.

"On that note..." Ethan faced Ria now, "I wanted to apologize again for what I said in your kitchen."

"Ethan, you've apologized a hundred times."

"I know, but hear me out. I know that you know about my crush on you. You know I've liked you for some time now...but being in here doesn't really allow for a stable relationship environment...So there's no point in asking you out now. I've got a lot of stuff to get over. I've got a lot of time that has to be spent on my therapy...but..." Ethan looked out the window again towards some trees, "I know that I'll always care about you...so I want you to try to find someone really worth your love...someone who won't try to kill you."

Ethan and Ria smirked but didn't laugh.

"Ethan..." Ria sighed.

"Look, I know you don't like me as anything more than a good friend," Ethan shrugged.

"A great friend," Ria corrected him.

"Well, that being said, I think you should stop worrying about my feelings so much and worry about your own. I know that you and Splendorman are pretty close by now. I think you should figure out how you really feel and let him know. I think the guy really cares for you..." Ethan admitted.

"Wow..." Ria whispered, "Don looks upset."

Below, Don's arms were waving frantically at his sides. He appeared to be yelling into the phone. Ria and Ethan exchanged glances. Don wasn't the type to get loud with his boss. He rarely got loud wit anyone, except Ria when she deserved it. At the end of the visit Ria found out what Don had been upset about. Don broke the news to her when she got buckled in the passenger seat.

"I got fired," Don spat.

"From Timmy Hoes?" Ria gasped.

"Yeah. John said that I've been away for too long. He says I should focus on my family and my commissions for now," Don rested his head on the steering wheel.

"Don..." Ria rubbed his shoulder gently.

"I'll have to get another job...or I won't be able to afford the payments on the house. There are only four to go...That means I can't come to see you as often as I have been," Don looked sadly at Ria, then the building in the background.

"So, guess you just gotta move on and move on up!" Ria shrugged.

"How can you take this so lightly?" Don began to smile.

"Think for it this way, now is the perfect time for this to happen," Ria said.

"How so?"

"It's like all of us are supposed to move on. Ethan finally got rid of his demon, so now he's in a place were he can be helped...that's how he can move on. You lost your job, a job that you didn't really like to start with, so now you can find something else," Ria poked her brother's arm.

"And what about you?" Don poked her back.

"I dunno. I suppose I'll have to figure out what I'm to do with myself...But I'll have to do that from your house," Ria smiled.

"WHAT?" Don sat up straight in his seat.

"You heard me. While you're job hunting, I'll come stay with you. It's been a grip since I spent a night in my old room. Splendy's been asking to see your place, too. I can work on my art there...I don't see why I shouldn't come bother you..." Ria grinned.

"Alright," Don nodded happily as they drove away from the recovery center.

That night, as Ria was preparing her bag for the trip to her brother's house, Splendy knocked on her window with a smile. Ria let him in and finished packing. Splendy eyed her bags with slight concern.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I'm going to stay at Don's place for a week or two. Maybe a whole month if he really needs me. Not likely, though," Ria heaved her bags onto her shoulder and carefully tread down the steps.

"That's a long time..." Splendy frowned.

"Don't sound so sad, goofball. You're still allowed to visit me there. Don's got no problem with you staying like you always do," Ria set one of the bags down to open the front door.

"He really doesn't mind?" Splendy smiled again.

"Nope," Ria huffed.

Splendorman helped Ria stuff her things into the trunk of Don's car. Don was asleep in the driver's seat. Ria woke him gently when she'd secured the house. Splendy looked the car over thoughtfully for a moment while Don shook himself awake. Ria noticed his look and cocked her head questioningly.

"Um..." Splendy blushed.

"What?" Ria asked.

"I've never ridden in a car before..." Splendy blushed a deeper shade of pink.

"Really? Don, _can we_? Can we can we can we?!" Ria begged her brother.

Don laughed and nodded, waving at Splendorman to get it. Splendy clambered into the back seat, ducking his head once he was settled. He shrunk himself down a bit more to fit more comfortably. His head still nearly touched the ceiling. Ria abandoned her seat beside Don and sat beside her friend.

"Sorry, Brother. I'm ditching you," she said when her door was closed.

"Oh..._no_!" Don gasped dramatically.

Splendy was excited the for most of the trip. Since it was dark, it was hard for others to see inside the car, but Splendy could clearly see everything they passed. He gasped at the night lights and all the vehicles that whooshed by on their way to who knew where. Ria pointed certain things out to him when the passed them, like her favorite pit stop and the bowling alley they'd gone to as kids. Don had a near constant smile on his face as he watched the two in his back seat. They were very much like little kids on their first road trip.

Ria and Splendy quieted down when they were about ten minutes form Don's house. Don glanced at them through the mirror. Ria seemed to be a thousand miles away. Splendy was running his fingers over her head lightly, a slight look of concern on his face.

"It's awful quiet in here. You two better now be up to anything naughty back there," Don joked, breaking Ria out of her daze.

Ria grinned wickedly at her brother. She slung one of her legs over Splendor's and wrapped her arms around his waist. He pressed her head to his chest and watched Don with one eye. Splendy gasped at the sudden closeness and turned beet red.

"Oh yes, Don. I'm totally doing all the naughty things to Splendy..." Ria purred.

If possible, Splendorman got redder. Don chuckled. Ria put a hand on Splendy's cheek, pulling his face a little closer to hers.

"Isn't that right..._Splendorman_?" she cooed.

"Splendy gasped loudly and turned his face away.

He tugged his hat off of his head and hid behind it. Ria and Don cracked up. Ria detached herself from her poor friend.

"Ria, don't tease the poor guy. That's not nice," Don laughed.

"Aw, OK. I'm sorry, Splendy. Forgive me?" Ria gave him a soft pout.

Splendy put his hat back on his head and swallowed. He took one look at Ria's pout and melted.

"I forgive you," he put an arm around the girl's shoulders.

Ria snuggled into his side and they were quiet and peaceful for the rest of the trip. Ria did notice, however, that Splendy's heartbeat was louder than normal, and faster. She smiled to herself. Ethan might have been right.

** A/N: Reviews please? *Puts on full body armor* I know. You guys were probably hoping for a little something more...but this is what I offer you for now! You may commence telling me off...In the reviews!**


	14. Chapter 14

** A/N:Wow! You guys keep making me blush! This was never even supposed to be fanficton, but you guys really make it worth the effort! **

**Shout outs: Splendyandslendy - Thank you! Your reviews are always so sweet!**

**Anon-chyaan – I wont let you die! Lol.**

**Animeguard – No three ways. 'Nuff said.**

**WeskerSplaey99 – Always a pleasure. *bows***

**DaRandomzChick – You are clearly not the only one who wants them together. I have people from two different sites begging me to make them lovers!**

**Camigirl215 – Thank you, glad you're still reading!**

**And to the guest reviewer who threatened me with a lightsaber – keep reading, and thank you!**

** NOW, onward my minions! Oh, and check his action out – S****⊗me⊗ne call the ⊗perat⊗or?**

**Curious**

It was almost midnight when Donovan's car pulled into the driveway at his house. His place was smaller than Ria's, but it was just as nice. Ria took Splendy to her old room, which had collected quite a bit of dust, and they began to wipe things down and change the bed coverings. Don went right to bed after making sure to get hugs from both his sister and friend. Ria couldn't contain giggles when Don's arms had gone around Splendy, causing the taller one to smile widely.

Ria sat on her bed, not tired in the least due to the nocturnal schedule she'd adopted over the past months. Splendy searched her room, looking at all of her old artwork and toys. Of course, Ria still had toys even back home, but these things were more childish. He found old puzzles and coloring books that Ria rolled her eyes at. Some of the things she kept simply because her parents had had something to do with them. It wasn't until about one in the morning that Splendorman had finally had enough of Ria's old things.

"I'm gonna change. Be right back," Ria said, grabbing her clothes bag and leaving Splendy alone in the room.

When Ria got back Splendy had sprawled out on the bed comfortably. His hat as hung on a hook near the door. Ria sat beside him with a grin and touched the top of his bald head. Splendy closed his eyes and smiled.

"You'd look horrible with hair," Ria said suddenly.

"Really?" Splendorman sat up and touched his head with a curious face.

"Yeah, I'll sketch you with hair sometime..." Ria stood up and removed her laptop from one of her bags.

"Alright..." Splendy watched her, "Don't you want to go to bed before it gets too late?"

"Why?" Ria quirked a brow.

It was unlike him to suggest she go to bed before sunrise. It wasn't like she had anywhere to be. Splendy spent the nights with her, so why would she want to sleep so soon?

"Don's getting up early to job hunt. Don't you want to get up when he does?" Splendy shrugged.

"Nah. He'll be busy hunting for a while. I'd be bothering him if I was in his face..." Ria said, readjusting her pajama bottoms' ties.

"Oh, right," Splendy chuckled.

There was a few moments of silence between them. Ria checked her e-mails and such while Splendy hummed on the bed. Ria looked at him over her shoulder and a question popped into her head. She looked down at herself, then back to the sweet creature on the bed. Splendy noticed her attention and smiled.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"Not...really," Ria stood up and walked to him.

Splendorman was sitting sideways on he bed, facing the door. Ria stood behind his back and tugged at the collar of his spotted jacket, looking down as far as she could. Of course, all she could see what the white of his shirt, and something darker that she guessed to be a vest of some sort. Splendy jerked. He turned his head to look at her, but Ria didn't let go of his clothing.

"What's _under_ there?" Ria asked without warning.

"Wh-what?!" Splendy turned a lovely shade of pink.

"What are you hiding under your clothes?" Ria elaborated, releasing him and putting her hands on her hips.

Splendy was at a loss for words. Ria smirked at him.

"I'm not asking about like, in your undies...haha...I mean, how come you never change into p.j.'s or something when you sleep?" Ria tugged her own shirt, "And you're never dirty when I see you. So you bathe, right? That's gotta mean there's something under those clothes. I wanna see!"

"Uh...um...well," Splendy gulped and laughed nervously.

"What? It's only fair. You've seen me shirtless a number of times," Ria pointed out.

It was true, he had seen her without a shirt. She'd always been wearing a bikini top or a sports bra, though. She'd been comfortable enough to change shirts in front of him or just walk around in her swim wear.

"You...ah...you weren't naked, though," Splendy said, blushing a deeper pink.

"I'm not asking _you _to be, either. I just wanna know what you look like without the jacket and whatnot. It's not like you're hiding boobies under there..." Ria reeled back dramatically in fake shock, "_ARE_ you?!"

Splendor laughed now, putting up a hand.

"No, I'm not," he giggled.

"So..." Ria tugged his jacket.

Splendorman sighed deeply. There wasn't going to be any rest from the matter unless he complied with her wishes. She was right after all, it wasn't fair that he'd seen her but she hadn't seen him. He'd never changed clothes around her, or bathed at her house, or gone for a swim in the pool. He stood up from the bed and removed his bow tie then began to unbutton his jacket. Ria sat on the chair in front of the desk to watch. Splendy was embarrassed, but the pure innocent curiosity in her eyes made him feel a little better.

The jacket came off, revealing a royal purple silk vest with gold buttons. Splendy handed Ria his jacket, which she'd reached for, and began to unbutton the vest. Ria put the jacket on herself, giggling at the ridiculous size. She reached out to touch the vest once before her friend removed it. Splendy smiled and set the folded item on the bed. Ria beamed at him.

"Can I bug you for a favor?" she asked as he reached for the shirt's buttons.

So many buttons, how could he stand it?

"What?" he smiled back.

"Let me draw you without the jacket sometime? You look really cute," Ria hugged the jacket around her.

"S-sure..." Splendy blushed again.

What was he blushing for? She called him cute all the time.

He continued with the shirt buttons and removed the clothing from his shoulders. He folded it, set it on the bed, then turned back to see a look of shock on Ria's face. He blinked, wondering if he'd done something wrong.

Ria stood up slowly, discarding the jacket on the back of the chair. She approached her friend and reached a hand out to his. She'd never expected this. He was _built_! Six pack and all, even muscled arms! Ria couldn't believe that his suit had been hiding that...how had she never felt it when they hugged? Well, she'd never made a point of feeling him up. His arms were the most interesting part, though. The black of his hands went halfway up his arms and faded around he elbow into the color of the rest of his skin. His nipples were a dark gray, like on his arms. He wore a belt, Ria noticed, that was pretty simple with a gold colored buckle. Splendy stood still as her hands traveled his left arm slowly, tickling him.

"I never would have guessed you were built like a super model," Ria breathed.

Splendy was cherry red now.

She ran her fingers over the skin where the color fade was. Splendy twitched a little. Ria saw the movement in his arm and grinned wickedly up at him. Splendorman tried to back away, sensing what was to come, but Ria held fast to his limb.

"Ticklish, huh?" she purred.

"Yes, Ria..please don't..." Splendy begged, a small smile creeping onto his face.

Ria ignored his plea and tackled him onto the bed, sending the neatly folded vest and shirt onto the floor. Splendy cried out in surprise. Ria laughed maniacally as she began to mercilessly tickle her friend's ribs. Splendy squirmed and writhed, but Ria just moved her hands to tickle whatever turned her way. She discovered that his ribs were and sides were most sensitive. The crooks of his arms were, too. She concentrated on these spots and laughed along with him until he sprouted his tendrils and bound her hands with them.

"Y-your...turn," Splendy panted, still laughing.

"No!" Ria yelped.

Splendy sat up, making her stand in front of him on the floor. He held her hands above her head with the tendrils and tickled her just as mercilessly as she had done to him. Ria squirmed and kicked involuntarily. Splendy bound her legs, too, just to be safe. He found that she was very ticklish in the crooks of her knees and right in the middle of her back. Ria laughed so hard tears ran down her face. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore.

"M-m-mercy! MERCY!" she cried out.

Splendy stopped and waited until she was able to stand on her own to release her. Ria stood shakily on her own two feet, gasping for breath. Her face was rosy from the tickle attack. Splendy put a hand to her cheek and lifted her face so he could see it. Ria blinked at him. He was smiling softly as he ran a finger over her cheek. Ria nuzzled his hand lovingly, earning another blush from him. It was at that moment that Don entered the room, half glaring.

"What's going on? It sounded like someone was being tortured in here," he yawned.

Don gasped mid yawn and took a step back. Ria looked at him, then Splendy, realizing what he must have thought. She immediately went into troll mode and wrapped her arms around Splendorman's neck, pulling him close to her. Splendy gasped just as Don had and flailed his arms at his sides.

"This..." Ria said slowly, "Is _exactly_ what it looks like."

"Well, I never thought you'd be so naughty in _my_ house," Don played along.

"What? Oh, no...We-We didn't...we weren't..." Splendy sputtered.

Ria and Don flew into a fit of laughter, alerting Splendy to the fact that it was just a joke. He blushed and shook his head at them. Ria chucked him under the chin gently, making him smile warmly.

"What were you two up to, really? And at such an hour?" Don yawned again.

"We were having a tickle fight," Ria said, looking her brother over.

"Oh no," Don ran from the room before Ria could catch him.

Ria laughed, shutting her door. She returned to her friend, whose tendrils were flicking about around him lazily. He smiled as usual as she approached him. He began to retract he tendrils, but Ria reached out and took hold of one. He jumped visibly. That was something new to him. He'd never had someone grab one of the extras before. It was an odd sensation. Ria looked at is face before doing anything else.

"May I?" she asked.

Splendor nodded. Ria held the tip of the appendage up close to her face and touched the bell. It felt like metal but it was warm like the rest of him. Splendy shook it to make it jungle. Ria smiled and ran her hands further along the tendril and examined the spots.

"Are they naturally like this, or did you make them look like this?" Ria asked.

"I chose to give them spots. The bells just sort of happened one day when I was young. I can decide whether I want them or not. I like them," Splendy answered.

Ria pushed at his shoulder lightly, signaling him to turn so she could see his back. He obliged her silent request and turned sideways with one foot on the floor while the other crossed over his knee. Ria looked at were the tendrils connected to him. The blackness of the tendrils ended where they met the skin of his back.

"Does it ever hurt?" Ria asked.

She touched the place where the tendril she held connected with Splendy.

"No," Splendy began to retract the extra limbs slowly.

Ria watched as they disappeared seamlessly into his skin. Soon his back was devoid of the extras and as smooth as silk. The color was a solid, normal, and fleshy like the rest of him. Ria ran her hand over the expanse of flesh. She felt her friend shiver slightly.

About an hour before the sun was to rise, Ria and Splendy climbed into bed to sleep. Splendy kept his shirt off at Ria's request. Ria cuddled into his side like she did most other nights. She rubbed her hand over his wonderful abs and smiled into his broad chest. She fell asleep smiling and holding her dearest Splendorman tight.

Splendy held one arm around her and combed his fingers on the free arm though her hair. He stared at the ceiling while she slept, thinking. So much had happened in the last two months. Nobody had even thought about Valentine's day until it was four days too late. By then they'd been so caught up in the events that had transpired and Ethan's health that Valentine's day still had yet to be celebrated. Ria had suggested they celebrate later, but now the stores didn't have any cards or anything left. It was all Saint Patrick's day items on the shelves. Splendor wanted to do something special for Ria. He wanted to get her a make up valentine that she'd really love. He wanted it to be something that would help him tell her how he felt.

Splendy though on it for a long time. The sun was peeking over the horizon when he finally decided what it would be and drifted off to sleep, relishing the feeling of her face against his skin.


	15. Chapter 15

** A/N: Muahahahahahaaha! I had you guys going for a while there, didn't I?! (Don't hurt me!) I'm so happy that you guys are happy. It's time once again for some shout outs!**

**WeskerSplayer99 - *brofist***

**mewterra13 – Thank you for looking at my pics, lol. I'm glad you like them.**

**Splendyandslendy – I don't know if I could write this forever, but I promise I will keep this up for a long time to come.**

**Sarah – No love triangles, 'nuff said**

**SplendyRULES – I'll think about it.**

**DaRandomzChick – Don't you go worrying about Slendy. I'm sure he'll find someone. ^_^**

**P.S. The next chapter will have a special guest appearance! See if you can guess who it will be. *hint* It's a female. Maybe if someone gets the right answer I'll do a special pic for them...SO, have at! (The pic would not be dirty)**

**P.P.S. If you want to see what Don and Ethan look like, head on over to my deviantart page! I'm still working on Riis... Once again I'm master-roku on deviantart.**

**Brother**

Ria sat on the roof outside of her bedroom window fuming. She was about eleven feet off the ground, not high enough to get away from Splendorman, who was desperately trying to get her to talk to him. He had changed himself to about fifteen feet tall so he could see and reach for his angry friend. Ria wouldn't let him near her, though. Donovan was inside wrapping up his first daily search on the internet. He knew nothing of the events outside.

"Ria..._Please_ speak to me...I'm _sorry_," Splendy pleaded.

Things had gone so well that morning. He'd woken with her in his still bare arms, they'd had a nice breakfast, and then he'd gone and opened his mouth about his extended leave. Ria had gawked at him like many people who feared him had when he told her that he'd be gone for a few weeks. Now, she wouldn't speak to him, angry that he'd sprung the information on her at the last second.

"Hmph," Ria pulled her knees to her chest and hid her face in her arms.

Splendy reached out to touch her, but the second his hand made contact with her shoulder she began to shake violently. She was sobbing and he couldn't comfort her. He listened for a moment as she took in a shaky breath and sobbed some more. Splendy forced himself to turn away and enter the house. Don had just gotten up from his desk when he saw the devastated look on Splendorman's face.

"Whoa, what's wrong, Bud?" Don asked.

"Ria...She's so upset...but she won't speak to me. I don't know what to do," Splendy's voice cracked.

"What happened?" Don glanced up at the ceiling towards Ria's room.

"I told her that I'm leaving the country for a few weeks. I won't be able to come back and forth like I do now," Splendy explained.

"I see...I'll talk to her. Don't you worry about it," Don patted Splendy's arm.

Don hurried up to Ria's room and climbed out her window to where she was. Ria didn't look up when he wrapped his arms around her. She continued to cry as Don hugged her and kissed the top of her head.

"Ria, I know you're upset, but it's not the end of the world," Don said softly.

"You sound like Mom," Ria sniffled, looking at him.

"Well, I have to act as Mom and Dad, so that's good I guess. Now, tell me what's got you in such a state. What's that matter?" Don asked, wiping tears from her cheeks.

"I'm not a little kid, you know," Ria turned her face away from him.

Ria was quiet for while. She took deep breaths to make sure she didn't cry again. When she was sure she wasn't going to cry anymore she turned back to Don.

"Splendy's leaving for three weeks. He won't be able to come back like he does," Ria said, echoing Splendy.

"I know, but he _will_ come back once he's done...wherever he's going," Don shook her gently.

"I _know_ he'll come back, but what am I supposed to do for so long without him? I'm not used to him not being here anymore! What if something happens and I need him? He can't just come back when I call like usual," Ria felt tears starting again.

"What am I, chopped liver? And what about Slenderman? If you need us...I'm sure we can both be here for you," Don pulled her to his side.

"Of course you will. I know Slendy's got my back, too. But, it's not the same as him..." Ria sighed.

"What do you mean?" Don pulled away to look at her face.

Ria's cheeks were tinged a light pink. It was a noticeable change from he pale color they'd been mere moments before. Ria couldn't meet her brother's eyes. Don nearly gasped.

"Ria, what do you mean by 'different', exactly?" Don asked.

"I mean _different_. I shouldn't really have to explain it at this point," Ria shrugged.

"Ria, you-"

"Don't you say a word! Not a _single_ word about this! I swear if you say anything I''ll rip your guts out!" Ria threatened, standing up.

Don laughed. Ria seemed to be back to her normal self. Don used her change in mood to his advantage. He coaxed her into leaving the roof and talking to Splendy. Ria found her friend in the living room. He was slumped over on the couch, staring blankly at the T.V. like a puppy that had been left alone by its owners for the first time. Ria sat beside him and yanked him into her arms. At first Splendy just blinked in shock, but he quickly put his arms around her.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"It's alright. I know it's going to be very lonely for me without you," he patted her back softly.

"Yeah. I'm so used to you being with me...we practically live together...We're never more than a few days apart," Ria nuzzled his shoulder, "But if you really need to go so far and for so long, I'll endure as long as you make me a promise."

"Anything," Splendy held her at arms length.

"Next time you have to go away like this, take me with you."

"Very well. I can do that," he nodded.

Late that night, Splendy and Ria were saying their goodbyes. Ria was on the roof hugging her friend like her life depended on it. It was a long time before either one released the other. Both did so reluctantly.

"You come back with good news, you got me?" Ria mocked a serious tone.

"I will," Splendy nodded.

"Oh, and to make sure you come back as soon as you are able..." Ria tailed off, making sure she had his full attention.

"Yes?" Splendy began to blush without knowing why.

"When you get back, I have a gift for you. You're not allowed to get it or know what it is until you've returned," Ria poked his chest.

"Then I'll hurry back when I am finished."

Ria pulled him to her one more time. She placed a long, warm kiss on his cheek as they separated. Splendy blinked, unable to breathe. He touched the spot where her lips had graced his cheek and smiled.

After a few more words Splendy finally departed, leaving Ria alone with her brother. Ria forced herself not to cry. She was going to be strong. It wasn't like she'd never see him again, and she had to remember her gift to him. As if she'd forget. She spent the next few days at Don's side almost constantly. If he left the house, she went with him. If he watched T.V., she sat with him whether she liked the show or not. Most of the time they were talking and playing word games and the like. "Truth or Dare" and "Would You Rather" were their favorites. It had been a very long time since they'd really spent any quality time together. When Ethan had moved in it had cut down their one on one time. Then, when Splendorman and Slenderman had come into the picture, there was almost never a time that Don and Ria were alone.

On the start of the second week since Splendy's departure Ria had changed her sleep routine to a nighttime one. She rose with the sun instead of falling asleep when it came up. She made a habit of cooking breakfast for Don and herself. It helped her wake up and gave her time to think about her gift to Splendy. Ria entered the kitchen to find Don already at the stove. He was making chocolate chip pancakes. They were his specialty and Ria's favorite.

"There you go again, screwing up my thing," Ria said.

"Hush or no pancakes," Don threatened.

"You wouldn't do that to me," Ria laughed.

"Oh?"

"You couldn't. You love me too much and you'd never do something that could effect me like denying me food."

"I guess you're right. I _could_ give you pancakes without chips, though," Don glared playfully over his shoulder.

Ria shook her head and walked up behind her brother. She rested her head in between his shoulder blades. She felt his muscles move every time he flipped a pancake or poured batter for a new one. Don smiled softly. This was something Ria had done since she was ten. Ever since then she'd rested her head on his back, or before they died, their parents'. She liked to hear their heartbeats. Ria clutched Don's shirt tightly.

She closed her eyes and let her mind take her back about fifteen years. She remembered what the room had been like then. Her mother would have been at the table, reading something to them. They loved when she read them stories from her many books. She had gotten both Don and Ria to read at very early ages. Ria thought of her father, going through plans for a birdhouse or go cart. He loved to build. Don had gotten his passion for building things from their father. Don would usually sit right across from their mother while he played with cards or coins. He had amazed Ria the first time he showed her how he could make a quarter spin on the table top. Ria would watch him do the silly trick he knew in pure amazement. Those mornings had been the greatest.

Ria tugged Don's shirt a bit. Don peered over his shoulder at her.

"What's up?" he asked.

He'd finished making their breakfast during Ria's reverie.

"Remember when we were little and you had me convinced that we were adopted because our hair was different than our parents'?" Ria chuckled, not moving.

"Yeah. You were in hysterics and you went crying to Mom. Dad told me off for that, y'know."

"I knew that."

"Then you and I both thought that we had brown hair because Dad's black had mixed with Mom's blonde. We were so dumb!" Don laughed.

"Yeah, but we hadn't gone through biology or sex ed yet. How the hell did our parents put up with us the way we used to be?" Ria hugged Don from behind.

"I don't know. We fought like tom cats until you turned eight. They just knew how to keep it together I suppose," Don pulled Ria from around him and turned to face her.

"You do, too. You were able to keep it all together when things went bad," Ria looked up into his eyes sadly.

"I had to. I had to be strong and take care of you," Don cupped her face with his right hand.

"If you hadn't...I would have fallen apart. I felt so weak and helpless when they died. I was so scared that I'd be taken away. And you stepped up to take custody of me. You became my guardian..." Ria smiled a bit.

"Yep. I'm mummy, daddy, _and_ brother. Donovan, perfect for any role! Just don't ask me to wear a bra," Don joked.

Ria laughed, "I won't."

"Oh, _good_, now I can take that hot pink one back to Victoria's Secret," Don sighed.

"Don," Ria took his hand from her face and kissed the back of his fingers.

"What?" Don blinked down at her.

"Thank you. I know I've said it a million times, and I'll say it a billion times more. Thank you for everything," Ria said, holding his hand tightly.

"Thank you, too. You're my reason for being strong, Ria. You helped me just as much as I helped you," Don pulled her into a hug.

The siblings held each other for a while in silence. This was a ritual they went through a couple times a year. They would thank each other for everything and hold each other close. They held onto one another as if a tidal waved was washing over them, threatening to rip them apart.

"The pancakes are probably cold now," Don broke the silence at last.

They sat at the table to eat and resumed their normal banter, Ria goading Don into a playful argument.

Meanwhile, in Germany, Splendy was walking the forests outside of a tiny town when he sensed his brother nearby. He found him sitting on a low wall made of stone that surrounded a seemingly abandoned barn. Slenderman looked up at him as he approached.

"Slendy? What are you doing here?" Splendy inquired.

"I don't know," was Slender's answer.

Splendy blinked. His brother seemed confused and ill at ease about something. It might have had something to do with the dark entity that haunted the house on the property. That didn't make sense, though. There was nothing that spirit could do to harm or even bother them. Splendy sat beside his younger brother and leaned forward, resting is elbows on his knees.

"You don't know?" Splendy quirked a non existent brow.

"I just had a feeling like I should see you today. I can't explain why. Though there is something I want to talk to you about," Slender said, turning his face toward is brother.

"What is it?" Splendy couldn't help but smile a little.

They rarely ever talked. When they did, it was usually just short acknowledgments of one another. They had only rally spent bonding time together when they were at Ria's house.

"It's about Ria," Slender paused, "You _must_ know what these recent goings on will mean for her."

"Yes, I know. I intend to do all in my power to help her and keep her safe," Splendorman nodded.

"Then what are you doing _here_?" Slender asked in an almost cold voice.

"I-I'm doing my job," Splendy said quietly.

"Did you think of how far you are from her? What if something were to happen while you are away? What did you plan for that?" Slenderman asked.

"I thought I could count on you to be there for her when I can't," Splendorman said, nudging his brother with his elbow.

"What made you think that?" Slender crossed his arms.

"You like her. You care about what happens to her almost as much as I do. I know that if she were to call on you for help, you would answer," Splendy grinned.

"You are correct. That's why I gave her the book. I knew she was different the first day I saw her. When I saw what she'd done to you, I knew that there was no way I could leave the two of you on your own...No matter how tiresome you holiday antics were," Slender stood.

"What she'd done to me?" Splendy stood, too.

"She made you fall in love with her, despite her being human."

"You...you know..."

Splendy bowed his head. He knew it wasn't right for his kind to love humans the way he loved Ria. The old laws had banned their kind from being in relationships with humans, even friendships. It had only been in the last two hundred years that the laws had been lifted. Laws or not, his their kind frowned upon such things, and anyone caught going against the old way would more than likely be shunned for life.

"Yes, I know. And you can be sure that I will not be the only one to know forever. Our kind will eventually find out, along with many other creatures. You will have to face that when the time comes. Will you be ready?" Slenderman asked,

"Yes," Splendor replied without hesitation.

"Good, because Ria already is. She has her heart set on keeping the two of us in her life."

"Do you know-"

"Her feelings are a matter for her to discuss, not me."

"Very well," Splendy smiled softly.

"Brother..."

"It has been a long time since you've said that word like that," Splendy noted.

"Hm...I will help you watch over her. I will not fight your battles for you, nor will I fight hers, but I will be there to fight _with_ you, if need be" Slenderman stood tall and held out a hand for Splendorman to shake.

Splendy took the hand, shook it once, then pulled his brother to him quickly and wrapped him up in a deadly tight hug. Slender struggled against his elder brother, but eventually gave up. When the spotted man released him, he straightened his suit and turned to leave. Splendy stopped him just as he was about to disappear.

"What?" Slender sighed.

"You should wear your new suit when you go to see her next. It would make her happy."


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: So, no one could guess who the guest was going to be in this chapter...but only two people guessed...Oh well, no work on pic for me! ^.^ Anyway, fluff ahoy! Shout outs:**

**WeskerSlayer99 – Funny you should mention the suit...And sorry, you were close, but no cigar!Kaht (A.K.A. Bhuja) is actually six years in the future! Haha!**

**Kara lee**** – Thanks for a sweet review!**

**Animeguard**** – No female Slendy, sorry. But not a bad guess about the GF thing. You'll get to know more about the old laws in the future, I promise.**

**Sesshy-sama**** – The pairing should have been obvious by now, it is Splendorman and Ria.**

**Splednyandslendy**** – And I love ****you, random citizen! Lol, get it? Your review was all over the pace, haha.**

**P.S. Don't forget the reviews! I'll let you in on a little secret, the better I feel about the reviews, the faster I wanna update and the better I feel when I'm writing, thus giving you quality crap to read...lol!**

**Creeps**

Donovan found a job quickly, thus cutting the time Ria could spend with him considerably. Ria ended up going home about six days before Splendorman was scheduled to return. She was hopelessly bored without her friend and Slenderman was the one who had to deal with it. Ria wrote to him all the time. She filled page after page in the book he'd given her. She asked him all sorts of questions and just kept up with whatever he was doing. She could tell sometimes when he was getting bored with her, but he never told her to leave him alone. He seemed to understand that she was lonely and needed someone to talk to. Maybe he thought she'd run off looking to fight another demon if he left her alone.

Three days before Splendy was to return, Ria met with Slender. She was pleasantly surprised to find that he was wearing the suit she'd made him. It looked good on him. If was smoother and a little shinier than his other one. Slender told her that he'd be in the area if he was needed. There were some woods near where Ethan's shack was that Slender would be in for a while. Ria decided that with him nearby, she could safely have a horror movie night. She made some popcorn in the microwave, burned it, popped in a movie, and sat in her chair.

"Gotta watch something with the guys," Ria said to herself.

She imagined Splendy trying to watch a scary movie. She figured Slendy would like something scary. Ria smiled as she pictured her friends in her head. She focused on the movie as the title came up. The house was silent around her, the only sounds coming from the T.V. and Ria's crunching. She was almost ten minutes into the movie when she absentmindedly bit into a piece of the burned popcorn.

"Uhg! Bund bobgorn..." Ria said with her tongue out.

She gave the piece a short glare then tossed it behind the chair. Instead of hearing the soft sound of it hitting the floor, she heard it get caught in a mouth and eaten. Ria's eyes nearly popped out of her head. She tilted her hear back to see who or what was there. It was a what. Or maybe more like a _WHAT_?!

There was a large, white head peering down at her from behind the chair. It had too many ayes and long, sharp, scary looking teeth. Ria though for a moment that it looked like some kind of mutant dog. It was far too large to be a dog. This thing's head was nearly as big as Ria.

"Oh..." Ria's voice was weak.

She flew out of the chair, then the door. Ria bolted down the street and kept running as fast as she could towards where Slender was. She didn't hear anything behind her, but when she looked the thing was there, running on all fours after her. Ria picked up the pace as she flew into the trees. She immediately began to call out for her friend.

"SLENDER! SLENDEEERRR!" Ria screamed.

She caught sight of him and slid to a stop. She panted as she leaned on a tree. Slenderman's tendrils were out, ready to grab. Ria heard a growl behind her and bolted forward into Slender's unsuspecting arms.

"HE'S GONNA _EAT_ ME!" Ria cried.

He held her tightly, trying to calm her when another loud growl came from behind her.

"It's here..." Ria whimpered, turning her head to look at the beast.

It neared them slowly. Its many eyes looked as though they were calculating. Slenderman had Ria off the ground and pressed close to him before she could blink.

"What are you..?"

The creature neared them still. Slenderman brushed his hand over Ria head, never taking his gaze off of the enemy. Ria felt lightheaded and dizzy for a moment at the contact. The monster looked up at her with an angry growl. Ria shivered in Slender's arms. The monster stared at her then snorted at Slenderman and walked away. It took a few steps into the darkness and disappeared.

Ria sighed and slumped her head onto Slender's shoulder. He kept holding her in his arms.

"I don't suppose we could keep this our little secret?" Ria half laughed, lifting her head to look at Slender.

Slender's face moved as if he was raising an eyebrow. Ria smiled timidly.

"I will not tell our brothers. I would never get a break from Splendorman's thanks if I did. What you tell Donovan is your business," Slender agreed.

"Ok, thank you," Ria hugged him around his neck.

Slender allowed the contact, then set her on the ground. Ria stood where she was set down staring into the woods. She shifted nervously on the balls of her feet. She wanted to go home...but she didn't want to go alone. Slenderman sensed her unease. He took her by the hand and started forward. Ria looked up at him with a grin. He was much nicer than he'd like to admit. She gave his hand a little affectionate squeeze. He squeezed back absentmindedly.

"How did you do that?" Ria asked.

"You might be angry if I tell you," Slender said.

"Am I going to find out anyway if you don't tell me?" Ria raised and eyebrow.

"Yes."

"Then just tell me. Whatever it is, it saved my butt," Ria heaved a huge sigh.

"I marked you. As mine," Slender touched Ria's ear.

Ria reached up to her lobe and tugged it. There was an earring there that hadn't been there before. Ria had never even had her ears pierced. She gasped out of surprise and slight pain.

"You...bastard...you pierced my ears!" Ria gave Slender's arm a soft tap.

Slenderman looked down at her in confusion, "_That _is what you're worried about?"

"Yeah. I've never had anything pierced before!" Ra touched the other ear, "Is that...the Operator symbol?"

"Yes. My mark," Slender nodded.

"What does this mean?" Ria could see her house coming up.

How the hell had she gotten behind her house? Slender must have used some sort of trick.

"Not much. It is not a permanent mark. You can remove them any time. If you do, you might run into another thing like that creature," Slender said.

"I figured all that, but what does it _mean_? Like, do I have to follow you around like a zombie? Obey your every order? Do I have to have your permission do do things?" Ria questioned.

"No. My terms on this marking are simply protective. I thought you might be angry, though. Normally something like this wouldn't be taken so lightly," Slender explained.

"You're my friend, aren't you?" Ria shook his hand gently.

Slenderman went silent. They made it to Ria's backyard fence when he found his voice again.

"Yes, we are friends."

"Then I don't see the problem here. You did something to help me, it's cool," Ria shrugged.

It took a little begging, but Slenderman allowed himself to be pressured into staying for the night. He sat in the chair while Ria slept on the couch. The DVD menu to one of her scary movies played quietly in the background. Slender watched as Ria began to have a nightmare. Her face scrunched up as if she was afraid or in pain. She curled into a ball on the couch and whimpered. Slender reached his long arm out and touched her head gently. He stroked her hair as a parent would and shushed her.

"Rest child. I am here..." he whispered.

Ria fidgeted a little bit. She sobbed quietly and curled up tighter.

"_Ria_...it's alright...nothing will harm you...I am here...sweet child..." Slender said softly, continuing to stroke her hair.

Ria calmed down and relaxed in her sleep. She was silent at last. She uncurled from the ball she'd made of herself slowly. Slender kept petting her head and whispering from his spot in the chair. When he pulled his hand back a few minutes later, Ria's eyes opened and sought him out in the semi darkness. She smiled at him sleepily.

"Dream of one nightmare...wake up to another..." she said quietly.

"You don't seem to mind this one," Slender pointed out gently.

"Nope..." Ria's eyes closed again.

The next day Ria was at the mall just wandering around. She got tired after an hour or so of walking and sat on a bench. There was a black zipped up folder there. Ria looked around for the person it belonged to. There wasn't anyone nearby. Only a guy behind the Subway counter looking bored. Ria picked the book up and turned it over in her hands. She gasped when she saw the front cover. A small rectangle of duct tape was near the top. On the tape was the Operator symbol. Ria touched her earring. She reached for the zipper of the notebook only to be startled by a voice from her left.

"Hey! That's my book!"

Ria looked at the person approaching her. It was a girl about her age. She was a little taller than her maybe by an inch. She wore a black hoody, dark blue jeans, black sneakers, and had a pendant of some sort around her neck. It looked like a purple stone was wrapped in some black wire. Her hair was only a few inches long and looked a bit unruly. The right half of her hair was dark blue, the left purple. Ria blinked at her.

"Do you mind?" the girl asked, holding her hand out.

"Sorry, it was sitting here. I wondered who it belonged to," Ria said, handing it over.

"Yeah, I forgot it like a dumbass. Thanks for not chucking it in the trash," the girl held the notebook close to her chest.

"No problem...So, you know about Slender Man?" Ria asked, nodding to the book.

The girl gave her an odd look. She clutched the book a little tighter.

"Yeah. I'm...researching him. I've been interested in him for a long time actually. You probably think I'm nuts," she said.

"No no! Check it out!" Ria pointed to her ear.

"You...where did you get those?" the girl asked with a huge smile.

"They were a gift from a friend. Custom made," Ria smiled, too.

The girl sat down beside Ria. She still held the book close to her. Ria watched her struggle with something in her head.

"So, why are you researching him?" Ria asked.

"Well, because I think he's real. I want to learn everything I can about him. My dream is to meet him one day. I want to know what he's really like. I want to know if the legends are true, or if he's totally different...and what happens to his so called victims," the girl told her.

Ria couldn't help but smile. This was the first person she'd talked to that felt that way about him. She wondered how she'd come across her in the mall.

"You _really_ want to meet him?" Ria asked, hiding her smile behind a mask of seriousness.

"Yes."

"What if the stories are true..and he kills you or something?" Ria watched her face closely.

"Then I'd die knowing the truth. I don't care if this dream _does_ cost me my life. It's my dream and I won't stop until I know. This is all I really want. It's worth the risk!" the girl looked her dead in the eye.

She was totally serious. Ria felt a strange energy come off of her as she spoke. It felt sad but determined. She knew she was talking to someone who really was fine with dying if it only meant she could know for sure. Ria smiled at her.

"That's one hell of a dream. You seem pretty serous about it. And I don't think you're crazy. Honestly, I believe he's real..." Ria said.

"You do?" the girl seemed skeptical again.

"Yeah...I...I know him..." Ria said quietly.

Now the girl stood up, ready to walk away, "I've heard it before."

She headed for the exit, but Ria caught up with her and took her by the arm. The girl looked at he like she was ready to punch her.

"Listen! I can _prove_ it, ok?" Ria held onto her, "I swear on my _life_ I can! Come to my place! I'll ask him to see you!"

The girl stared at her for a long time. She glanced out the glass doors, then back to Ria. She finally exhaled and nodded slowly. Ria released her arm.

"One chance. That's all. I've had enough trolls messing with me," the girl said.

"I bet. I'm Ria, by the way," Ria held out a hand.

"My name is Carissa, but please call me Kat."

Ria cheered as she led Kat out the door. They talked the whole way to her house. Kat asked her a few questions. Among them were, "Is he as bad as they say?" and "Does he do hugs?" Ria answered her questions as best she could, explaining that even though she was friends with him, there was still a lot she had to learn about him. When they reached her house Kat whistled in awe. Ria felt a twinge of pride inside. They made their way into the kitchen and Ria offered her some iced tea.

"Where are you from, anyway?" Ria asked as she poured them both drinks.

"Out of state...I was driving here but I got into a freaky accident just outside of town. Now my car's wrecked and I have to wait until someone can get me some money to get home. Not that I mind being here..." Kat shrugged.

"What do you mean by 'freaky?'" Ria asked.

"I was driving last night when out of nowhere this huge...white-_thing _came out and rammed my car. It took a bite right out of the bumper like it was an apple. The cops found fur and saliva on the car and took samples...but when they went to show me what they found, the evidence was gone," Kat sipped her drink.

"Someone stole the evidence?" Ria gasped.

"No, the bags were there, but the contents just disappeared. Even the vials with the saliva were empty," Kat rubbed her arm, "I only got bumped and bruised, but if it wasn't for other driver's being around, I might have been eaten."

"I suppose I should apologize," Ria smirked.

"Why?" Kat narrowed her eyes.

"That thing was here last night. It came after me, but I went to Slender. That's when I got the earrings. They protect me from thing like that creep," Ria told her.

"Oh, wow."

Ria waited until the sun was gone and the sky was black before she ventured into the woods, leaving Kat in the house. She walked to the clearing and called for Slenderman. He showed almost instantly. Ria grinned up at him like a kid who'd just gotten Christmas and birthday gifts all at once. Slender approached her warily. It was clear she was up to something.

"Heeeeeeey, Slendy!" Ria greeted.

"What's going on?" Slender was suspicious.

"I have to ask you for two favors, and it's pretty serious," Ria motioned for him to lower himself.

Slender shrunk himself a bit and knelt in front of her, "What?"

"There's someone who really wants to meet you. She's a big fan, and she's been looking for you for a wile now I guess. Meeting you is her _dream_! Will you _please_ come see her with me?" Ria folded her hands and pouted a little.

"A fan?" Slender cocked his head slightly.

"Yes. She's researched pretty much everything the internet has to offer and talked to people online...though she doesn't believe a single person she chatted with. She's got a note pad _full_ of stuff she found on you and wants to know what's real and what's not," Ria rushed out.

"So...you want me to come see this person?" Slender was waiting for the second request.

"Yeah, but you can't do anything bad to her, ok? Only if she goes psycho or something, then have at," Ria nodded vigorously.

"Why did you bring her here? Why is it so important that I meet her?" Slender asked curiously.

His voice wasn't cynical or sly, just smooth and wondering.

"I've been talking with her all day. Slender, she's not like the others. She wants the _truth_. She doesn't want to judge and she doesn't expect anything because she knows nothing about the real you. She wants to learn rather than accuse...I thought you'd be interested in meeting someone like her. C'mon. I _never_ ask you for anything but a little companionship," Ria grabbed his hand and tugged.

"Very well. I will meet her. And I will leave her unharmed so long as she does not act violent toward us," Slender agreed with what Ria now knew to be a small smile.

"YES!" Ria hugged him quickly, "Oh, it'd mean the world to her if you hugged her!"

"We'll see," Slender stood and followed Ria to the edge of the woods near the house.

Ria ran into the house happily. Kat was sitting on the couch looking pale. Ria stopped beside her, her smile fading. Kat was shaking slightly she looked up at her host with another strange expression in her brown eyes.

"What's wrong?" Ria sat beside her.

"He's really here..." Kat's voice sounded distant and choked.

"You can tell?" Ria was surprised.

"Yeah..I feel his presence..." Kat shivered violently.

"Are you sure you're ok with this? You look like you're going to pass out," Ria touched Kat's trembling shoulder.

"How would you feel in my position? I'm about to have my greatest dream realized. I'm about to meet a legend...someone I've been hoping desperately to see for a long time...someone I'm still kind of scared of..." Kat husked.

"You have every right to be nervous, trust me, I know how it is. But I'm going to be right there. Everything will be ok so long as you don't threaten him," Ria assured her.

"I'd never threaten him!" Kat said, her voice almost normal again.

Ria nodded as she rose from the couch. She held out her and to Kat. Kat took her hand, still shaking. Ria felt sorry for her and happy for her at the same time. She was so nervous, but she was going to have her dreams realized, and Ria was the reason.

The girls walked hand in hand to the tree line. Slenderman only stepped out once Ria and Kat had stopped. Kat inhaled sharply at the sight of him. She clutched Ria's hand life a lifeline for a second, then let go to clutch her jacket. Slender wasn't more than four feet away from her. Ria stepped back after giving Kat a nod. Slender stared down at Kat for a few moments, analyzing her. Kat stood shaking and close to tears under his gaze.

"Y-You're real...you're _real_..." Kat choked out, "It's an honor..."

At that point Kat's tears overflowed. She covered her mouth with her left hand and made no effort to wipe the tears that were flowing freely. Slender got down on one knee and held his hand out to her. Kat looked at the hand he offered, then up at his face, or where his face would have been. She removed her right hand from her jacket and reached out to clasp Slender's hand. She twitched and inhaled again as if she had received an electrical shock, but did not let go of his hand as he shook it shortly. Ria knew it was the reality of _feeling_ him that had made her react that way.

"It is nice to meet you, too, Kat. Do you mind if I use that name?" Slender asked.

Kat jumped a little when he spoke. She shook her head in response to his question.

"So...you are the fan...who wants the truth...Aren't you the least bit afraid?" Slender asked, even though it was fairly obvious.

Kat nodded once.

"What do you plan to do with the truth?" Slender asked.

"What...do you mean?" Kat gulped.

"Surely you have a video camera...or maybe you will go get one?"

Ria watched them feeling nervous. She'd never asked what Kat planned to do once she knew. Kat looked like she was confused. She shook her head violently.

"No. I wouldn't do that to you. Not unless you gave me your express permission, and even then it wouldn't feel right. I didn't want to meet you so I could post something online...I wanted to meet you because I was curious...I've read the stories...but I never felt like you were really a bad guy. I wanted to know for sure..." Kat half sobbed, "You...are my dream...If my life ended right here...that'd be ok."

"What of the rest of your life? Is there nothing left you wish to do?" Slender tilted his head.

His tone was soft. He wasn't trying to intimidate her, he just wanted an answer.

"What of it? Nothing I'll ever do will be as amazing as this," Kat replied firmly.

Ria smiled. Slender seemed to be smiling, too. Kat stood where she was, still shaking.

"I'm going to leave you two alone...that ok?" Ria asked.

"Yeah, if it's ok with him," Kat nodded at Slenderman

Slender nodded. Ria made her way back to the house and sat on the porch to watch them. Kat still hadn't moved an inch. Slender was still down on his knee in front of her. Kat stared at Slender, her tears finally stopped. Slender remembered what Ria had told him. He was curious now to how this human would react to him. He opened his arms to her and motioned slightly with his hands. Kat made a small sound in her throat like she was going to cry again. She walked forward the few feet to him and ever so slowly put her arms around him. He wrapped his long limbs around her and pressed her head into his shoulder. He could feel her trembling all over. It was no longer fear that shook her body, but utter joy and relief. Elation. He'd never felt such emotions come from a human because of him.

"Do not fear, child...I will not harm you," he said softly.

Kat sniffed and started to cry again onto his shoulder. Her arms were around his neck lightly. She tightened her grip a little when his tendrils began to sprout from his back. She didn't try to move away as they, too, wrapped around her. Slender chuckled lightly when her hand reached out to touch one of them behind his back. He moved the tendril right into her hand, allowing the small exploration. Shortly after she had made contact with the tendril, she went limp in his arms. She'd fainted.

Slender took her to Ria's house and placed her on the couch with Ria's help. Ria smiled widely up at him once the girl was covered.

"_You_, Sir, are a sweety!" she said.

"Hm. Keep an eye on her. I'd like to meet this one again," Slender said as he exited the house and disappeared.

Ria smiled down at her unconscious new friend. Splendy had a lot to hear about when he got back.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: I'm bored, so you guys are in luck. The long awaited chapter (not a sexy chap) has finally arrived! It's short, but it should do for now. I noticed I didn't get very many reviews last time...nobody likes me...But c'mon! The AUTHOR is I the story...hello, doesn't that make it a true fanfic? Anyway, shout outs for the ones who did review:**

**SplendyLover**** – Ty for the smooches, *I return them*. Glad t be able to brighten your ay, your review has brightened mine!**

**Animeguard**** – Now you get your answers.**

**Splendyandslendy**** – Sorry, my fanfic, my Slendy! ;p**

**WeskerSlayer99**** – Omg, ty for looking at he drawings... TxT**

**DreaminMyDreams**** – Funny thing, I was almost in tears writing that! I guess it's b/c it's actually ****me there, not a made up character...and that how I imagine I'd really react. I'm a sap. Ty for finally reviewing!**

**Exchange**

Ria invited Kat to stay with her until her situation could be sorted out. It looked like it could be a week or more before she could get any help. Kat stayed in the guest room that Ethan had used. She didn't have much with her, just a backpack with one outfit. Ria decided she'd take her shopping for a few more, despite Kat's protests. Kat didn't get to see Slenderman again until Splendorman returned.

Ria was on the couch with Kat to her right on the morning of the day he was supposed to come back. The sun had only risen an hour before the girls had sat down to watch Saturday morning cartoons. Ria heard a familiar knock at her window. She bounded off of the couch and flew to the back door to let Splendy in. He didn't even have a chance to greet her before she crushed him in a long hug. Splendy hugged her back just as hard and rubbed the top of her head.

"You're _finally_ back! I missed you so much!" Ria cried into his chest.

Splendy let a few tears roll down his cheeks as he bent to lift her into his arms. He held her as close as he could and put his cheek to hers.

"I know. I'm sorry it took so long. I'm so happy to be back! I missed you, too!" he mumbled.

"We've got a _lot_ to talk about," Ria said, pulling away to look at him.

"Oh?" Splendy noticed the pair of eyes watching them.

He set Ria down and walked over to Kat, peering at her over the back of the couch. Kat turned backward in her seat to look up at him. She was grinning almost as much as he was. Splendy reached a hand out to her. Kat took it and shook it happily. Ria had told her all about Splendy in their time together.

"Who is this?" Slendy asked pleasantly.

"I'm Kat. Nice to meet you!" Kat chirped.

"I am Splendorman, but you can call me Splendy," Splendy took off his hat and bowed.

"I know who you are. Ria told me a _lot_ about you," Kat smiled over at Ria.

"Really? How sweet!" Splendy crooned.

Ria blushed a light pink. She shook her head at Kat and Splendy. Kat looked back and forth between them with a small smile.

"I'm going to go into the woods and see it I can't get Slendy to drop by. You two have some catching up to do," Kat said, backing out of the room.

When the door closed behind Kat, Ria found herself feeling suddenly very nervous. Splendy was smiling brightly as usual. It somehow didn't make the situation an easier. She tugged him by his hand to sit beside her on the couch. Splendy sat sideways facing Ria with one leg bent up against him and the other resting indian style. Ria sat cross legged facing him.

"So...how was the trip?" Ria asked lamely.

"It was very successful. I was able to think about what I wanted to give you as a make up gift!" Splendy raised his hands above his head in triumph.

"Really?" Ria leaned toward him.

"Hold out your hand," Splendy instructed.

Ria did as he told her. Splendy extended one of his tendrils toward her. He placed the bell on the tip in her hand. Ria looked up at him questioningly.

"Don't let go," Splendy said.

He then yanked the tendril back quickly. The bell came off of the end of it with a tiny snapping sound. Ria gasped and nearly yelped. She looked at the extra limb with a gaping mouth and wide eyes. Splendy chuckled at her reaction.

"You never said those come off!" Ria screeched.

"They aren't really supposed to. I can make them, as you can see. This is my gift to you," Splendy cupped her hand in his.

"Dismembering yourself?!" Ria's voice was strained as if she'd just run a mile.

"No, no...shake it," Splendy pushed her hand.

Ria shook the bell and heard it jingle. Now she was at a total loss for words. She stared up at Splendorman. He might has well have popped off his head and given it to her. He laughed a bit at the confused and nearly distraught look on her face.

"It doesn't hurt or anything, I promise," Splendy gave the tendril a flick.

Instantly, another bell appeared and jingled like it had always been there. Splendy didn't even blink as it happened. He tilted his head and smiled at Ria, who was clearly shocked.

"It's more than just something to make noise," Splendy took Ria's hand again, "Since it's a part of me, it will allow you to always hold onto me even when I'm not beside you. If you shake it, I will hear it no matter how far from you I am. If you need me, all you have to do is hold that close and call me to you. No matter how far, or for what reason, I'll come to you. You can even wear it as a necklace if you wish, look."

Splendy turned the bell in her hand. At the top the was a tiny half loop opening large enough for a string or chain to fit through. Ria gulped when she thought of that being where it had once been connected to Splendor's body. She ran a thumb over the bell slowly, it was still warm. The bell was big enough to nearly fill her palm. She wondered if it would hurt him if it got damaged. He idea scared Ria. As if he'd sensed her thoughts, Splendy supplied more information.

"I can still feel it. It will always be as warm as I am."

"You...you'd be willing...to give me a _part_ of you..?" Ria whispered.

"Yes. I want you to always feel safe with me. Or without me. I...love you...and I want to be there for you," Splendy said, rushing the last part a little.

Ria blinked up at him. He'd said it differently than the last time. It meant something else now. Ria dared to believe he meant what she now meant. She clambered onto her knees in front of him and sniffed. She held the bell close to her heart. She looked her friend right in the eye and willed her own eyes not to fill with tears. Splendy put a hand on her upper arm to help her balance. He looked worried when he saw her struggling against tears.

"Splendy...I wanna give you _my_ gift now. Two, actually," Ria breathed to calm herself.

"Alright," Splendy smiled again.

"First, I want to give you the truth. A confession. I..." Ria kept staring into his eyes, "I'm in love with you. Have been for a while now I guess. I've just been too much of a coward to say so before today. I want you to stay here with me always...I want you to be my everything...My...boyfriend...f-for now..."

Ria glanced away from him for a moment. When she looked back at him his face was turning pink like hers. His eyes were sparkling and his lips twitching. Ria took a breath.

"The other gift, then...is my heart. Since I can't detach it...like you...I'm letting you have it while it's still inside me. I trust you to keep it in good condition. I trust you won't break it" Ria placed his hand over her racing heart.

Splendy swallowed hard. He could feel her pulse beating like a drum. He choked on a happy sob. He pulled Ria into his arms again and squished her against him. Ria's arms went around his neck and clung tightly. Splendy kissed the side of her head repeatedly while he rubbed her back and head. Ria rubbed the smooth back of his head gently.

"I accept your gift. I promise I won't break it! No matter what," Splendy pulled Ria away for a moment, "And I owe you the truth, too. I've been in love with you for a while as well. I was waiting for this moment to tell you."

"So are we...I dunno...official or something?" Ria chuckled, wiping tears from both of their faces.

"_Yes_," Splendy said firmly but cheerily.

Ria did then the only thing in the world that made sense when sealing such a deal. She pulled Splendorman's head closer to her, closed her eyes, and kissed him. Splendy moaned a little in surprise but returned the kiss with a sweet passion. Ria felt as though she was melting into him. It felt like a bolt of lightning had sparked between them, shooting warmth and tingles through her whole being. When they parted, both of the were flushed ad breathing heavily. Ria smiled sheepishly for a second before Splendy initiated another kiss. He pulled her into his lap and pressed her whole body against his. Ria dropped the bell on the couch cushions. She raked her fingers over her Splendy's head as they kissed, eliciting muffled moans and gasps. Eventually, they parted again and just sat holding onto one another.

Elsewhere, Kat had gotten herself into a jam. She'd climbed a tree as high as she could go, and was unable to get back down. She stared at the ground far below her. The branch she'd used to get to where she was had broken beneath her feet. She was nearly thirty feet up and alone.

"_Help_."


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Hello again dear readers! I know, it's been a longer wait than usual...I'M SO FUCKING SORRY YOU HAVE NO IDEA! See, I had to go deal with some family business in another city, and there was no internet. I ended up there for much longer than I was supposed to be so I couldn't update! I'm sorry! But, hey! You guys really blew me away with reviews...so here come the shout outs!**

**Le Epic Zelly – I like to climb trees, that's why.**

**Me Gusta – Dude, thanks!**

**FreelancerRiley – Is that a joke because of the poster? Lol.**

**Splendyandslendy – Saw your comments on my deviantart page! Thanks and loves for that! You think I'm an expert...? O/O Lols, and you commented so many times...WOW.**

**Vihnnie – Thank, I like my characters to be real, not overly done.**

**Xlovely Thorns – I do odd things. Glad they make you laugh.**

**DreamingMyDreams – Maybe he will, maybe he won't...**

**Lara60 – Thank you!**

**I am Katniss Everdeen – Funny you should mention that creature...**

**Animeguard – Sorry to hear that. Read on and cheer up!**

**Amy Red – Lemons..? Maybe. Haven't yet decided.**

**Syren15 – Aw, thanks. Glad to give you something to like!**

**Weskerslayer99 – Took long enough, right?**

**Personality**

"Oh no! No no no no no!" Kat whined.

She had foolishly attempted to worm around the tree and down some other branches. The other branches were too small. Kat had made it down about four feet when they gave out and left her clinging for dear life on the end of one slowly breaking limb. Kat was never good at chin ups in gym class and she hadn't braved the monkey bars in years, mostly because she was too tall now. With all the odds stacked against her, Kat still struggled to get to safety. The branch cracked and creaked as she went along, threatening to drop her at any second.

"Hoooold on. Dooooon't break!" Kat begged the tree.

She reached forward to move herself along and the tree answered her plea with a deafening snap. The branch that held Kat broke completely. Kat cried out in fear. She was still more than twenty five feet from the ground. She closed her eyes and covered her head with her arms. Branches scratched and whipped her as she fell, tearing right through Kat's clothes and skin.

"Huaugh!" Kat felt her ribs hit something.

Whatever it was, it was big and growled very angrily when Kat landed on it. Kat opened her eyes as she hit the ground and looked up at the thing she'd hit. It was tall, ugly, and white. It was the creature that had caused the accident. Kat scrambled backwards and stumbled to her feet. The thing watched her with fiery eyes. It sniffed deeply in her direction and roared. Kat took it as a sign to run and bolted toward Ria's house. She didn't stop or even look behind her until she was inside with the door locked. Ria and Splendy flew off the of the couch to see what was wrong.

"What's going on?" Ria went to Kat.

Kat leaned back against the door panting hard, "The thing! It's...there!"

"What?" Ria looked out the window.

"It's _here_?!" Splendy gasped.

Ria didn't see anything outside. There wasn't even a hint of movement anywhere nearby. Ria turned to Kat who had a stupid grin on her face. There were blood stains all over her clothes and scratches on her hands, but she was smiling.

"What?" Ria cocked an eyebrow.

"That was _scary_!" Kat sniggered, "But why didn't it follow me?"

"The mark. It won't approach Ria's house while she's inside. It won't come near you if you're around her," Splendorman said.

"You told him all that already?" Kat asked Ria.

"Yeah. You were gone a while," Ria peered out of the window again.

Kat stayed at the window for another twenty minutes expecting to see the creature. Ria went to her room with Splendy to talk about the situation. They couldn't understand why the creature was after Kat. She'd only known Slenderman for a few days, and she'd had a run in with the thing before Ria had even met her. She'd never told Ria of any special power or gift she had. In fact, Kat hadn't really said much about herself besides what pertained to Slenderman. Maybe he could get some answers.

"Maybe you should write to him and tell him what's going on," Splendy said, handing Ria her special book.

"Yeah," Ria started writing quickly, " All we really know about her is what I've seen since she came here."

Slender replied to Ria almost instantaneously. He assured her he'd be there in moments, and sure enough he was. He knocked on her window and entered without a word. Ria and Splendy cast each other a glance. Slender seemed very tense, maybe scared. He looked around the room, then to Ria.

"Where is she?" he asked.

Is voice was edgy. Ria jerked at the sharp tone he used. He hadn't spoken like that in a while.

"Downstairs. Why?" Ria asked.

Slenderman didn't answer her. Splendy reached for his brother's shoulder but Slender had moved away. He went downstairs, leaving Ria and Splendy behind. Ria thought it would be best to let him handle it, since he'd been able to do so with her. Splendy held her in his lap while they waited. What they were waiting for, they didn't really know. Ria brushed her fingers over Splendorman's cheeks. They'd only been together for an hour, but she felt like it was too good to be true. Splendy returned the gesture with a sweet kiss to her temple. The moment was ruined shortly after by the sound of a thump and glass breaking somewhere downstairs.

Ria ran down the steps with Splendy on her heels. Slender was standing a few feet from Kat who was on the floor with a broken plate next to her. Kat didn't look scared. She looked slightly angry. Slenderman was more tense than before.

"Brother?" Splendy was automatically concerned.

"Are you ok?" Ria helped Kat to her feet.

Kat nodded with a grimace. Slender stepped closer to her only to have her back up a few feet.

"I'm fine," Kat shot the last word toward the faceless man.

Slender crossed his arms and shook his head. He disappeared without a word. Ria and Splendy stared at Kat as they waited for an explanation. Kat had a thoughtful look on her face. She glanced around the house, then at her friends, before shrugging and shaking her head..

"What happened with you and Slender?" Ria asked suspiciously.

"He's just a little mad at me right now," Kat looked at the floor.

"Why? What's going on?" Splendy asked.

Kat, like Slenderman, said nothing and walked outside. She walked around the side of the house to the tool shed. Ria hardly ever used anything in there except the lawn mower. Kat quickly found a rusty old ax and brushed the dust and cobwebs off of it. Ria and Splendy stepped back, uncertain of what Kat was trying to do. They followed her to the fence where she stood staring down the path into the forest. Now they knew.

"Ria...do me a favor and go in the house," Kat said lowly.

"Why?" Ria asked nervously.

"That thing won't approach me with you nearby," Kat nodded toward the woods.

"You don't really think you're going to-"

"I do," Kat cut Ria off and gave her a push toward the house.

Ria looked up at her boyfriend for help. Splendy knelt next to Kat and put a and on he shoulder.

"Kat...I'll stay with you, is that ok?" he asked.

"Yeah," Kat nodded, "But get Ria in the house."

Splendy ignored Ria's protests and lifted her into his arms. He took her up to the porch and nudged her to go inside. Kat watched the creature reappear at the woods' edge. The further from Kat Ria got, the closer the creature got. Once Ria was inside the house and Splendy was back by Kat's side, the creature took off at a run toward her. Splendy gulped, looking down at Kat, wondering what to do. Kat lifted the ax over her head.

"There's something I forgot to tell you guys..." Kat dashed toward the charging monster, "I'M KIND OF INSANE!"

The monster roared and ran faster at his target. Kat didn't turn away or stop. She kept running at the creature. Just two feet from it, she raised the ax high and jumped in the air. The monster skidded a little, clearly not expecting her to get air born. It opened its mouth wide but the impending roar was stopped by the ax coming down on its head. The blade went deep into the skull and broke off from the old wooden handle. Kat rolled to the side of the now shrieking creature and hopped to her feet. She turned to survey the damage she'd done. The creature wasn't dead, but she'd definitely hurt it. It threw its head from side to side trying to shake the ax blade from its skull. After a few unsuccessful tries it ran off into the woods and disappeared again. Kat raised her fists above her head.

"Woohoo! Kat _for the win_!" she cheered.

Kat skipped and danced back to the yard, where Ria and Splendy were standing with their jaws on the ground. She laughed aloud and put and arm around each of her friends.

"You...really are insane!" Ria said when she managed to speak.

"Of course she is," Slenderman's voice drew everyone's attention the porch.

Slenderman was standing there looking rather angry. His arms were crossed over his chest and his fingers were tightly curled around his them. His face was scrunched to look angry. If he'd had eyes they'd be flashing and burning holes into Kat. Kat looked at the ground, suddenly feeling very guilty. Ria felt a twinge of fear and apprehension in her stomach. She took Splendy's hand in hers. She could feel that Slender's mood was making him tense, too.

"You think you have won against that thing?!" Slender hissed at Kat.

"No. I know I haven't. I know it'll be back," Kat admitted.

"Then how can you act so confident? Your _life_ is at risk!" Slenderman approached Kat, who had begun to shake.

"I...I have a plan," Kat almost sobbed.

The girl wasn't able to look at Slenderman. He stopped right in front of her, looking down at the top of her head. Ria stepped between them, taking Kat's hand in her behind her back. Splendy stood behind Kat with his hands on her shoulders.

"Look, she was brave enough to take that thing on by herself! And she actually hurt it! Give her a chance, Slender!" Ria said.

"Brother, she may be able to handle this..." Splendy squeezed Kat's shoulders.

"Then let her handle it. If she dies, don't say you weren't warned," Slender snapped, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Ria sighed. What was he in such a bad mood for?

"I'm gonna go get things ready. Care to help?" Kat asked, wiping tears from her face.

"How?"

Ria, Splendy, and Kat spent four hours in the woods. Kat had them find two large branches, one of which ended up being the one that had broken and dropped her, six smaller branches, and lots of leaves and brush. Ria and Splendy then waited while Kat ran off somewhere and returned with a small blow torch, several pieces of silver jewelry and a fire poker.

They heated the silver and turned it all into six long strips. Kat then had Splendy break the fire poker into six pieces, which was no harder for him than snapping a plastic spoon. They heated them up and Splendy pulled them while they were hot to be as long as the strips of silver. Ria and Kat were amazed that the heat didn't affect him in the slightest. Kat sharpened the smaller sticks, handing them off to Ria when she was done. Ria pounded the silver onto the sharpened ends with a rock in a spiral, then handed them to Splendy, who would wrap the iron around in a similar fashion.

Once the six sticks were made into the odd makeshift spears, Kat ran back to the house and retrieved some duct tape and tough clothesline cord. They tied the unarmed ends of the spears in between the two large branches and made sure they were secure. The trio dragged the trap they'd made onto the path. They covered it as best they could with the leaves and brush after Kat tied a long cord to each end of it. Kat gave the trap one final inspection before she nodded and deemed it ready.

"Where did you get those things, by the way?" Ria asked, motioning to the bow torch in Kat's hand.

"I borrowed the torch from a neighbor and I found the poker in your shed. The jewelry is mine," Kat tapped the torch with her nail.

"Why did we make the tips out of iron and silver?" Ria asked.

"They are two metals that many beings avoid. Iron can even have an effect on spirits. Silver can kill certain creatures," Splendy explained, "How did you think of that?"

"I watch a lot of movies," Kat shrugged.

"Wow," Ria smiled.

"That reminds me..." Kat reached into her pocket and removed a salt shaker and some school glue.

She moved the leaves from the trap and rubbed a thin layer of glue on each spear tip. She poured copious amounts of salt on each tip, let them dry, then covered the trap back up.

"Salt?" Ria questioned, feeling rather stupid at the moment.

"To purify..." Splendorman stared thoughtfully at the trap.

"Don't you watch T.V.?" Kat blinked at her.

"Yeah, not a lot...but I don't really watch paranormal shows that much," Ria somehow felt embarrassed.

"Eh, not everyone does. Hey, you gotta get away from me. I won't get that ting to come to me with you nearby. Head to the clearing," Kat said, pointing down the path.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Ria put a hand on Kat's shoulder.

"My brother...he could have marked you..." Splendy said.

"I know. He tried to, but I wouldn't let him," Kat said, looking away from them.

"Why not?" Splendy pulled her face around gently to look at him.

"I didn't want to be a burden. He already looks after Ria... just met him a couple days ago...I couldn't do something to be a bother to him. That's not why I was looking for him," Kat said quietly.

"He wouldn't think of you as a burden," Ria said, nudging her.

"Maybe not...but still...I don't think I deserve to have him act as some sort of guardian when I'm not even sure if I'm worthy of that. I love him too much to make him worry. Anyways...get going...I've got a monster to kill," Kat sighed.

Ria and Splendy looked at each other, then began walking away slowly. When they were about thirty feet away, the monster appeared behind them. It still ad the ax head stuck in its skull. The creature gave a loud growl when it saw Ria, but roared when it saw Kat. It charged her in without warning, ignoring the two behind it. Kat got down on her knees and put her hands on ground over the cords. The creature kept coming at her in a rage. It must have been waiting all this time. Kat took a breath. As the creature came to her trap, she pulled the cords and the spears came up, impaling the monster. Five of the six went right into him, causing it to scream and roar in pain. Kat dodged the monster's body as it tumbled head over feet down the path. When it stopped, so did the screams and roars.

Kat gasped as the body caught fire and burned away to ash in just seconds. The slightest breeze blew and the ashes were gone from the path. Kat looked around. There wasn't even a drop of blood left behind. Loud footsteps were followed by a crushing hug from Ria and Splendy.

"YOU DID IT!" they yelled.

"Yeah..." Kat laughed, hugging them back.

"You've certainly proven to be an _interesting_ person...to say the least..." Slenderman's voice startled them.

He was standing where the creature had died. They all looked at him in surprise. He no longer seemed angry or tense. Now it looked like he was at ease and a little happy. Kat gave him a tiny, hopeful smile. Ria winked at him. Splendy gave an enthusiastic wave.

Slender ignored the happy gesture from his brother and knelt down. He beckoned Kat to him silently. Kat went without question, shaking a little. She relaxed when he pulled her into a hug. He held her more tightly than he had before. Kat hugged him back warmly.

"Ah!" Kat hissed through her teeth suddenly.

She felt a quick burning sensation over her heart. It felt as though someone had cut her then cauterized the wound. She twitched in Slender's arm before he let her go. She pulled the collar of her shirt out and looked down at her chest. A black mark like a tattoo was there. It was his symbol. Kat looked up at Slenderman and blinked.

"Now...you are mine."


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Finally, here it is! Lemons ahoy! I hope you guys are happy, this was actually kind of hard to get done. Took me a couple days. I hate that. Anyways, shout outs:**

**DreamingMyDreams – Insanity might as well be my middle name! I don't suffer, I enjoy!**

**Vihnnie – Keep this in mind, not everything is as it seems. His "taking am liking to her" might not be what you think it is...**

**Splendyandslendy – Thanks, always a pleasure to see yo in the reviews!**

**Animeguard – It's not all worked out yet, but it'll be alright. Thanks for the concern. And yeah, creepy/sweet...with a hint of secrecy...**

**Timing**

Ria and Splendy didn't see hide nor hair of Slenderman and Kat for nearly a month after Kat had killed the monster. Slender had picked Kat up, said goodbye, then walked off and disappeared. Ria was upset by this, as she wanted to introduce her newest friend to Donovan. Ria looked out her window every time she passed it, but never saw either of her two missing friends. She wrote to Slender a few times, but he always said he was busy and couldn't talk unless it was important. He refused to tell her where they'd gone and when they'd be back, or _if_ they'd be back.

Splendorman was cheerful despite the absence of his brother and his new proxy. He did his best to keep Ria in a good mood, too. It turned out to be a lot easier now that they were a couple. He could hold her closer, longer, and tighter. He could kiss her and caress her and whisper things that he'd only kept as secret thoughts before. Ria loved when he held her close and rubbed her back or arms. She couldn't help but feel like she wanted more, though. Being alone with him every night and being his girlfriend had given her ideas that she hadn't had before. Ideas that made her ache in the worst way. She had to be careful about acting on them, though. She didn't want to rush things.

It was the first week of May and the weather outside was giving everyone spring fever. Ria was outdoors almost constantly. The only time she spent inside was to sleep or work. Splendy even acted more happy. He left earlier and returned earlier so he could share the daylight with his love. Ria really enjoyed this.

Ria was in the shower on a Friday afternoon when Splendorman arrived. She'd gotten filthy with mud while she'd been cleaning around the yard and the forest path. Her dirty clothes were in the hamper and her clean clothes had been left in her bedroom. She hadn't expected anyone so early. Ria nearly toppled over in the shower when Splendy knocked on the bathroom door.

"Yes?!" Ria called.

"Ria, it's me," Splendy called back cheerfully.

"Oh...hey...What are you doing here so early, Hon?" Ria asked, poking her head out of the curtain.

"I missed you. I've done a lot lately and I thought a little time off for a day or two would be alright," Splendy answered.

"Ok...well, I just got in here, so you might have to wait a while," Ria told him.

"Awwww, ok," Splendy whined.

Ria washed her hair in silence. No matter well she scrubbed herself, she couldn't wash away the thoughts that crept into her mind. She began to feel lonely in the shower. She decided it was time to push her relationship a little further. Ria stuck her head back out of the curtain and looked to the door. She could still see Splendy's shadow through the crack beneath the door.

"Hey...Spleeeendyyyyy," Ria called.

"Yes?" Splendorman responded right away.

"Could you come in here? I'm all lonely like," Ria said.

"S-sure," Splendy gulped.

He entered the bathroom slowly, keeping his eyes from the shower curtain. Ria giggled. She reached one arm out while keeping the rest of herself covered and tapped Splendy's arm. He looked at her and blushed. Ria laughed quietly.

"You can just sit on the toilet if you want," Ria said.

Splendy did just that. He sat down so quickly that he almost fell off. Ria pulled the curtain shut and continued to wash. She could hear Splendy tapping his foot nervously and trying to hum to himself. She finished washing and swallowed a lump in her throat. Her heart raced as she dared to take another chance.

"Hey..." she almost whispered.

"Hm?" he turned toward the shower.

"How do _you_ bathe?" Ria asked.

"I-uh...usually...I use a river...or a waterfall...Since they're big enough," he said.

"So...you never use a real shower?" Ria asked, nerves building.

"No..." Splendy sounded nervous, too.

"Would you like to?" Ria pressed on, "With me?"

Ria's heart raced in her chest as silence took over. The hot water that was cascading on her felt ice cold for a moment as she waited for his answer. Splendy twirled his hat in his hands. He stood up and nodded, though Ria couldn't see him.

"If...that's really alright..." he said.

"I wouldn't ask if it wasn't ok. Come on in," Ria tapped the shower curtain.

Ria listened as Splendy took his clothes off. She peeked out again and watched as his tie, jacket, and vest came off. She shuddered when he slipped his shirt off and dropped it on the counter with the other articles of clothing. He reached for his belt and Ria made a tiny squeaking noise. Splendy turned toward her, mostly out of shock, with a deep blush on his face. Ria dove back into the shower. She slipped in her haste and fell onto her back. The wind was almost knocked out of her.

"Ow!" Ria grunted.

"Ria!" Splendorman pulled the curtain back and reached in to help Ria sit up.

Ria turned beet red, "Close the curtain, the _floor_!"

Splendy did as she said, backing out the the shower with a wet torso. He finished undressing without further indecent. Ria pressed against the back wall of the shower to let him in. She kept her back to him while he got wet and began to wash with a free washcloth. Ria dared look over her shoulder at him. She blushed at the sight of his perfect ass. She turned toward hm very slowly, avoiding all physical contact. Splendy finished washing the front half of himself. He sprouted his tendrils and used them to wash his back. Ria giggled girlishly and took hold of one of them, making him jump.

"May I?" she asked, tugging at the washcloth.

"O-ok..."

Ria washed his back with care. She took time to feel out all of the unbelievable muscles there. Each time Splendy moved and breathed she could feel them flex. Splendy rinsed off and Ria stared. The moment the suds were gone she could no longer resist the urge to hug him from behind. Splendy yelped but made no move to get away.

"Is this ok?" Ria asked.

"Yes..." he sighed.

Ria rubbed his abs with her fingertips. He whimpered then moaned as he fingers traveled around to his sides and hips. Ria nuzzled his back. She gave it a small kiss that elicited a louder moan from Splendy. Emboldened by this, Ria moved her fingers along the dip of his abs toward the crease where his hips met his legs. She licked up his spine and hissed it when her tongue went back into her mouth.

"Ah..._Ah_! Ri-Ria..." Splendy whined.

"Hm?" Ria removed her hands and stepped back, "Something wrong?"

"No...well, not really," Splendy twisted his torso to look at her.

He was redder than a tomato. Ria guessed quickly why he wouldn't turn fully. She grinned evilly and tugged his arm. He turned a little more but made a small sound that stopped her. She looked into his eyes and waited. He looked as though he was torn between grabbing her and passing out.

"Hey...Don't be embarrassed..." Ria pulled him around to face her, avoiding looking down as she did so, "If you want to stop we can get out or-"

"No!" Splendy grabbed her face.

He leaned down and kissed her deeply. Ria groaned quietly and pulled him a little closer. Splendy shivered as his member came closer to her. Ria stole a glance down and saw it. It was pretty much as big as she'd thought it'd be, and thick. The tip way greyish like the fade on his arms. Ria looked away from it quickly. She felt her own arousal heat up in her core even as she forced herself to stare into Splendy's heated eyes.

Splendorman saw Ria's face grow red and smiled a little. She wanted this as much as he did. Splendy kissed her again, this time sliding his tongue shyly across her lips. Ria eagerly allowed him into her mouth. Their tongues played and danced and Ria finally let him take control. Splendy grew braver with this and took her hand in his, placing the tips of her fingers just blow his navel. Ria took the hint and moved he fingers lower when he released her hand. He quivered almost violently at her touch. She brushed along the top of his member to the tip and then along the under side in an equally slow manner. Splendy hunched over, legs shaking, and moaned loudly.

Ria gripped his length in her had and began to pump him lightly. She added a little bit of soap to the mix to made it easier. He shook and moaned as she worked, dropping his head to her shoulder. Ria nipped his neck, shoulder, and chin gently. She pumped him harder and faster. Splendy went down on his knees this time. Ria had to let go of him and kneel down to reach her target. Splendy rested his head on her shoulder again and help her hands in his to stop her from pursuing further action on his throbbing member.

"Ria...we should..." he panted.

"Bedroom?" Ria suggested.

Splendy had her in his arms and out of the shower before she could blink. He turned off the shower as he used his tendrils to wrap them both in towels. Ria never once touched the floor until they were in her room with the door locked and the curtains tightly shut. Splendy set her on the bed carefully. He knelt in front of her and puller her to his chest. Ria removed her towel so that their skin could touch. They both moaned when they pressed together. Splendy pulled of his towel and crawled onto the bed. He helped Ria move into a comfortable position and placed a knee on either side of her. He kissed her sweetly and rubbed her sides. Ria responded with a whimper. She arched into his touch.

"Splendy...Please," Ria rubbed a finger over his nipple.

Splendy jerked, "I...don't want to hurt you."

"Just take it easy. I'll be ok," Ria reached down and gave his member a tug.

Splendy gasped audibly. He spread Ria's legs and rested the backs of her knees on his hips. He readied himself and pressed against Ria's wet core. Ria's breathing sped up in anticipation. Splendy pressed harder and groaned deeply as the tip went into Ria's tight entrance. They both panted and moaned as Splendy slowly pushed in and out until he was fully seated inside of her. Ria thrust her hips forward involuntarily and buried him to the hilt, which wasn't easy. They both held still for several minutes while Ria's body adjusted to Splendy's nearly insane size.

Ria snapped her hips against him as a signal to go on. Splendy kissed up and down her neck to comfort her as the pain began to fade. He kissed down her collar bone to her breasts. Ria whimpered. Splendy licked and sucked her nipples until she was writhing too much to continue. He kissed his way back up to her lips. Their tongues battled again and this time Ria's won out. To match the turn of events in their mouths, Ria pushed Splendy up and somehow managed to flip them both over so she was on top.

"Gah..._Ah_! _Riiiaaaa_..." Splendy cried.

"Shhh..." Ria raised and lowered her hips.

She rubbed his nipples with her thumbs as she rode him. Splendy was squirming like she had now. It took a great deal of strength from her legs to hold him still. Sometime in their moaning, groaning, and sighing they flipped again. Splendy picked up the pace and began pounding into Ria as the knot in his stomach tightened. Ria could feel her climax coming as well. She put her arms around his neck and hugged him like a boa. In a few more thrusts, they both met their climaxes together and cried out each others' names. Ria's body was set aflame, then tingled coolly until she was numb everywhere.

They cuddled together for a while before they fell asleep. Splendy held Ria in his arms as they slumbered peacefully. Night had fallen by the time they woke up. Splendy rose first. He sat up carefully so he wouldn't wake his lover. He looked the scene over and gasped at the sight of dried blood. Had he hurt her?

Ria awakened when he gasped and grinned at him, "Hey."

"Ria, are you alright?" Splendy asked nervously.

Ria looked down at the mess they'd created. She laughed a little and sat up with a short wince. Splendy helped her put her legs over he side of the bed.

"I'm fine. I supposed I should have told you I was a virgin," Ria stretched.

"WHAT?!" Splendy sputtered and gasped.

"Yep, you were my first," Ria smiled.

Splendy gawked at her. Ria just beamed back at him. She kissed his cheek then made her way to the bathroom where Splendy joined her for another, less naughty shower. They were clean and dry in the living room by seven o' clock. Ria was resting on Splendy's lap as a scary movie played. They heard a familiar sound at the window. They looked oven and saw Slenderman looking back. Ria let him in after giving him a hard glare.

"Where have you been?" Ria snapped.

"Around," Kat responded, crawling through the window.

"_You're_ back, too?" Ria hugged the girl.

"Yeah," Kat summoned Splendy to join the hug, which he did.

Slenderman watched he cozy exchanges in silence.

"So, where have you guys been?" Ria asked.

"We were getting things ready," Kat beamed, "Had to time it all right and whatnot."

"Time what?" Splendy looked at his brother with concern.

"We had to make sure everything was ready for me to leave with Slender. Family, friends, possessions, legal papers. Just kidding. We pretty much just moved my most beloved stuff and I wrote a goodbye note to my best friend and ditched. It was great. Took like a _day_," Kat flopped in the chair.

"A day? What were you doing the rest of the time?" Ria looked up at Slenderman, who was still standing in silence.

"Getting her ready. These things take time," Slender answered simply.

"Ready for what, Brother?" Splendy questioned.

"To be a proper proxy. I can't be a good minion without having the right training!" Kat said, laughing.

"True. She had to be ready for the jobs I will give her. For the trials she will face. I suggest you prepare Ria for what's to come," Slender said, nodding at the standing girl.

"Wait, what for and why?" Ria backed into her boyfriend.

"Now that you two have bonded, others like us will come to test you. You must be ready to face them or lose everything," Slender answered.

"Test me? Lose everything? What the-" Ria looked around at them all, confused.

"They'll want to see how strong you are. They'll want to see if you're worthy of being my..." Splendy lost his words.

"Wife?" Kat chipped in.

"In the future," Splendy held up his hands to stop whatever Ria was going to say, "If they don't think you're worthy, they might erase your memories..."

"You're fucking joking!" Ria sat on the arm of the couch.

"No," Slender shook his head, " You have to be ready now that you have taken this step. If you care, you have to fight for your right to keep us in your life."

"You'll be ready so long as Splendy trains ya up. I've already been through one trial..._hell_ it was scary...but I got through it and now I won't be bothered again unless I call a challenge or if this guy gives in and lets me have my way with him like you two did," Kat laughed, ducking a tendril from Slender.

Ria and Splendy froze. They stared at their guests in pure shock. Ria felt her face heat up and could see tat Splendy's was, too.

"You know?" Splendy blinked at his brother.

"_Yeah_, we know. We expected it sooner, actually. Slender had a closer guess than I did," Kat shrugged.

"I suppose it was best that it happened now, when I could come back to help you," Slender said, lifting Kat from the chair.

He set her on the floor at his feet and took up his usual spot in the chair. Kat gave him a short lived look and cuddled up to his leg. She rested her cheek on his knee. Slender allowed this and gave her head a quick pat.

"How long do you think I have until someone comes?" Ria asked.

"Not long. Your preparation will have to start...now."


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: HEEEEEEEY GUYS! Guess what?! Go on, guess...Ok, I'll just tell you! I've heard that a lot of you, here and elsewhere, want to see more Slenderman and Kat...But mostly Slendy...*sigh*. You've been wondering what happened while they were away, and what goes on when Slendy's not with Ria. Y'know, sometimes _I_ wonder, too...**

**Anyways, I've got good news for you! You're getting your wish all you Slendy lovers! That's right, I'm catering to my crazy fans' whims yet again. I'm creating a side series to Slender What? It shall be called The Only. It will focus on what goes on behind the scenes with Slenderman and Kat. Keep your eyes peeled for the new story, coming soon to a URL near you!**

**And, here we go again, shout outs!**

**Animeguard – You're welcome, lol.**

**Amy – Must take a break from lemons for now.**

**WeskerSlayer99 – I think I broke my fist that time...**

**FreelancerRiley – Sorry, I don't know how to acquire any...maybe you can find someone on deviantart who makes jewelry and pay them for some..?**

**Splendyandslendy – Love you, too.**

**Vihnnie – See, not what you might think, right?**

**DreamingMyDreams – Good eyes on the relationship analysis. The Only should give you some insight into the mysterious Slenderman...**

**To all guests who review, please leave your name in the review. I want to give you guys shout outs, too!**

**Defend What's Yours**

Splendy was hard at work with Ria for five straight days. Slenderman and Kat had stuck around to aid them, and as it turned out, they really needed all the help they could get. Slender put Ria through all day tests. The hardest one was for her to read his emotions and energy while he moved to random distances around the house. Sometimes he'd be right behind her and she'd hardly notice, or he'd go far away and she'd have to keep a lock on is location. Splendy taught her how to look at him while they spoke without meeting his eyes. That could be dangerous or even lethal depending on whose eyes they were.

Ria's hardest tasks were the ones Kat put her through. For a nice girl who seemed to really enjoy Ria's company, she could really be a lot like military drill instructor. She had Ria wake up at sunrise to run with her. Ria complained only once until Kat told her that she hadn't even been able to run a block before she'd started training with Slenderman. She didn't mention how he kept her motivated...or what the consequences for her were. Ria worked hard to keep up on runs, games of hide and seek, and climbing up trees and sideways through thickly growing branches.

The hide and seek was another way to test Ria's ability to sense energy. While Kat, Splendy, and Slender would hide and move through the forest, Ria would have to either find them or avoid them. Usually, Kat and Slender were the hardest to play with. Kat's energy was just plain weird and Slender was able to hide his or use it to confuse her.

This was nothing compared to the seriously physical trials through the branches. Ria didn't understand why she had to worm, crawl, and squirm through branches while they scraped her and tore her clothes. Ria found out on the third day why she had to do it. Splendy and Slender would randomly snatch her from he ground and lift her high into the air. Ria had to fight her way free of them to pass the exercise. She was getting good at it by the fourth day, when Don arrived unannounced. He'd walked in on her while she was mid air and freaked out.

Ria introduced him to Kat and explained the situation to him while Kat and Slender collaborated on the next training exercise. Don didn't like the news at all. He looked slightly put out when he was told that he wouldn't have to go through them himself. Ria assured him that everything would be ok and on the fifth day he was helping her train along with the others. He and Kat got along right off the bat. He was just as hard on Ria to do her best as she was which, in a way, annoyed her while pleasing her at the same time.

She told Ethan all of what was going on over he phone. He'd only recently been allowed to make phone calls, and they talked at least twice a week. Ria apologized for not visiting, but he said it didn't matter since it was a long process to set up an appointment and he was having hard time with the doctors. Ria told him about her new friend and her relationship with Splendy. He congratulated her and wished her the best in all she was doing. Ria nearly cried when she hung up the phone. He was in a nut house, and yet he still cared enough to wish _her_ well.

On the sixth day after her training had started, everyone was tense. They could all sense a chill in the air that didn't belong in the middle of May. Slender was on the back porch when a thick fog rolled in and made everything gloomy and cold. Kat went to his side with question in her eyes. He looked down at her, took her hand, and disappeared with her. Ria watched this through her kitchen window. Splendy and Donovan were with her. She turned to them as a tight knot twisted in her stomach.

"I suppose you have to go as well?" Ria asked Splendy.

"I do. I'll be back as soon as it's over. I'll make dinner tonight, ok?" he smiled.

Ria could see the worry in his eyes. She simply nodded and watched him disappear from the table. Don was the only one left. Ria glanced back out the window, then to him.

"I know I can't go out there and help you...but I'm not going to leave," Don said, walking over and hugging her.

"Thanks," Ria hugged him back, vaguely wondering if she'd get to do it again.

She locked the door behind her as she stepped into the thick fog in her backyard. She walked sluggishly to the fence where she stopped. She stared out into nothingness, waiting. There was no sound. No movement. No _anything_ in the fog. It was so quiet, she thought she could hear the fog itself moving through the air. Ria could only feel a power somewhere far in front of her. She gulped nervously and waited for something to happen. Don couldn't even see her from his place at the window.

Ria's mind fired off a million things at once. She imagined what she was going to see come through the fog. She imagined what would happen if she messed up. She imagined scenario after scenario of her getting mutilated. She kept thinking about life without Splendorman and Slenderman. She though about forgetting Kat and what had happened to Ethan. _Ethan_. That was it! If she could defeat a demon with no training at all, she could handle this situation! She'd been working her butt off to be ready for this.

Ria set her face and marched forward. There was no sense in standing around imagining horrible things. If she wanted whoever was waiting to know she was serious she was going to have to be proactive. She walked boldly into the fog and looked every which way, trying to see the entity. The energy became much stronger with each step. Ria felt choked by it as she reached the tree line. She looked up at the lowest branches half expecting to see a face. Or maybe no face.

"Alright, where are you?" Ria called.

She listened for an answer. There wasn't one.

"I know you're here! I know _why_ you're here! Come on out! Do what you have to. Say what you have to. Ask me any question you must!" Ria yelled into the trees.

Her words echoed for a few seconds. After a moment of silence, there came a series of cracking and creaking sounds. Branches and twigs fell down around her. Ria backed up as a figure loomed in front of her. It must have been at least as tall as her house from ground to the top of the roof. It was all black except for the face, which was white as paper. It appeared naked, though with no human like private parts. Its face was long and thin with nothing but a pair of empty, perfectly circular eyes. It stared down at her as it dropped its and to either side of her and leaned in closer. Ria took another step back and tried not to look at the eyes. She did like Splendy had told her and focused on its chin instead.

"Who-who are you?" Ria asked.

"You will know my name if I let you live," it said in a raspy, cold voice.

Ria couldn't tell if it was a male or female. She focused on its chin as she thought of what to say next.

"You know why I'm here," it wasn't a question, "And you may well know the consequences for your actions...should their be any."

"Yes, I know what you could do..."

"Good, then you know that I cannot just let you go. The old laws prevented these occurrences...but now those laws are gone...So we must decide for ourselves what to do about humans stepping into our world and affairs. If you were just a proxy, this would be _so_ much easier, but you have asked permission to be with this one forever. To be a _part_ of our world. And yet...you don't want to change. You want to stay here with him...where you can both be happy. Where you can keep your sibling and friends close," it said.

Ria gasped, "How did you know all that?"

"We know a great deal. Splendorman must tell us of his actions now and again. Since you have accepted his seed, I have been tasked with finding out everything I could about you. There was a great deal to learn...such talents...such fire...but is it enough for you to fight with?" it asked, tilting its head in an almost mocking manner.

"Of course it is!" Ria declared bravely.

"Really?" it breathed.

Ria was certain now that this was a male. It's voice had deepened and gotten a little clearer with that word. That single, bone chilling word.

"Prove it," he disappeared.

Ria blinked and looked around her in the fog. It was a futile effort. She may as well have been blindfolded. Ria closed her eyes. She tried to zero in on his energy. He was moving around her erratically and making it nearly impossible to keep track of him. He stopped right behind her. Ria jumped and turned around to face him but he was already gone again.

"Tell me about the old laws," Ria called out, still following his energy.

"They prohibited relationships beyond slaves and minions with humans. The old laws called for anyone who even fell for a human to be _killed_. That is why Splendorman has spent so little time here. He knew his heart was weak for your kind," he said.

Ria was able to follow his movement much more easily now. She could hear him move from close to far or vise versa as he spoke.

"Was that it?" Ria asked, sensing him stop.

"No. Humans were also barred from our world. I suppose, technically, they still are. Any human stupid enough to set foot in our lands would be killed instantly," he said, appearing to her right.

Ria dodged an enormous hand as he took a swipe at her with deadly claws the size of kitchen knives. She rolled on the ground and ran a few steps away. He began to move again. Ria didn't dare close her eyes this time.

"Why are you so opposed to us being together? Why is love so wrong?!" Ria asked angrily.

"Because of the results it brings! Halfbreeds...they are not welcome in either world! Most would not even survive their own birth," he said, bringing both clawed hands down like a wall right in front of her.

Ria fell on her butt and scooted away just in time. She watched him as he circled her in the fog. He was close enough to see with her eyes, not that it was very comforting. He was walking around her at his full height and flexing his claws menacingly.

"And if they _do_ live, why are they not welcome? Do they look too different?" Ria snapped.

"They are not welcome because they are not pure. They are not one or the other, but _both_! Two sets of blood that don't belong together!" he took another huge swing at her.

Ria jumped back and glared at him, "And who says _you_ can decide that?! If one person loves another and is willing to love their child, what gives you the right to say that is wrong?! You think because you're bigger than me, and have powers that I don't, that you can just come here and tell me that what I want in my life...that all that I care about is _wrong_?! You think because you're different from me it makes you _better_?!" Ria yelled at him.

He slammed his claws into the ground on either side of her. He brought his face down toward her, forcing her to look at his chin again. His eyes seemed to be glowing now. The fog in front of his face mirrored the eery glow. Ria stood her ground despite the terrible knocking in her knees.

"It _does_ make me better! I am in every way superior! I _have_ no fear...there is _nothing_ I am afraid of. Foolish human bravery cannot compare to me! My kind does not fear anything. _We_ are the ones to _be_ feared!" it shouted, "Slenderman and Splendorman feared that demon...they feared what it would do to you and your precious friend. They are hardly worthy of us...and yet I'm _here_, talking to some foolish human!"

He flicked Ria as if she was nothing more than a paper football. She hit the ground with a thud and a groan. Ria got back to her feet before he got too close. She took a few steps toward shim, making him stop out of slight surprise.

"_You're_ the fool," she wheezed.

He laughed loudly at that. His laugh echoed all around. Ria was sure Don would be able to here it.

"Anyone who is dumb enough to fear nothing is just stupid! It doesn't matter who you are, there is always _something_ you should be afraid of! And if you don't fear for the people you care about...that just makes you heartless. If you really look at it with all that considered..._you_...are not worthy of deciding anything!" Ria spat.

"Aren't we?" he boomed, his eyes glowing a bright red.

Everything around them went dark. It was too dark to even see her own hands. She felt herself being lifted from the round by countless hands and tendrils. Ria sensed a countless number of energies all around her. They were the energies of whom and what was holding her. She fought and struggled like she'd been taught, but the hands were far too tight, too strong. The male was just feet away from her face, eyes burning red. It was all she could see.

"No! I don't care what you or _anyone_ thinks!" Ria yelled, still fighting.

"You don't care about your life then," he said.

"I _do_ care about my life! My life includes Splendorman! And Slenderman! It includes Kat...and in the future it will include a child!" Ria felt a few of the hands slip.

She fought harder against them. The male came closer to her face, the red of his eyes illuminating some of the restraining hands. There were all sorts of hands on her, but Ria payed them no mind. She stared right into the face of her enemy.

"I LOVE SPLENDORMAN AND I WANT TO BE WITH HIM FOREVER!" she bellowed.

The red glare of his eyes went away. For an instant all was dark. Ria was back on the ground, unrestrained. The fog replaced the blackness in front of her eyes. The male was still there. His eyes were as blank a when she'd first seen them. He shrunk down to about six feet and extended a clawed hand toward her. Ria took it without fear. She could sense that she was no longer in danger.

"Have your life, then. And enjoy _whatever_ it brings you..." he nearly whispered.

"Don't forget...I wan to know your name," Ria reminded him.

"Divass," he hissed.

Ria blinked, and as with her friends, he was gone. She heard Don's voice calling out to her from her yard. He sounded distant. More distant than he should have been. Ria took a few steps and realized that she was now in the woods. She ran through the trees toward Don's voice. The fog was beginning to lift. By the time she made it to the path on the edge of the trees, Ria could see clearly. Don was at the fence with Kat, Splendy, and Slender. Her brother ran to her and met her halfway.

"You're ok!" he sobbed into her shoulder.

"I am. What's up with you?" Ria pushed him off to hold him at arm's length.

"What do you mean what's up with me?! You've been gone for nine hours!" Don shook her.

"What?!" Ria's jaw dropped in shock.

Kat stepped forward and forced the siblings into another hug. She stood to the side with a Cheshire grin.

"Yeah...forgot to tell you about that," Kat scratched her head.

"About what?" Ria asked, her word's muffled by Don's shirt.

"If they take you off to their world...you could be there for anywhere for a few seconds to several hours...and you'll never know the difference. You also might change locations when you return," Kat explained, "I was there for about sixteen hours and I didn't know until Slenders told me."

"Whoa..." Ria went limp in her brother's arms.

Don supported her all the way back to the house. Splendy sat on the couch and held her in his lap once they were inside. Slender was in the chair as usual with Kat between his knees on the floor. Don was beside Splendy, holding his little sister's hand. Ria snuggled into her boyfriend and squeezed her brother's hand reassuringly. She gave Kat a wink. At winked back knowingly.

"I suppose it all went rather well?" Slender asked.

"Tell us what happened," Splendy tilted Ria's head back so she could look at him.

"I got you...forever."


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N:Hey guys! If you haven't checked out The Only yet, I beg of you, go give it a try! By the way, you guys should check out the latest pics I've got up! Also, check out Ethan and Don's pic. There's a link on it for some fan art someone did of them for me! It's sweet! Shout outs:**

**Animeguard – Glad to have made your day. Your guys' reviews make mine!**

**Splendyandslendy – I actually had no idea what I wanted him to look like. I just kinda said, f*#k it, and went with something off the top of my head.**

**DreamingMyDreams - Ria's a feisty thing when she wants to be.**

**P.S. It seems to be a popular thing, so I've decided that I want to do a Slendy/Splendy Q&A. If you have a questions no matter how serious or silly or weird I will have them answered. The questions and answers will be posted at the bottom of a chapter once I've gotten them all. Just put your questions in with your reviews. No more than 3 questions per person, though.**

**Movie Night**

Ria slept for fourteen hours after her ordeal with Divass. Splendorman was at her side the entire time, making sure she was comfortable and had food and a drink in case she woke up. Ria stayed in the a guest room that night after talking with Slenderman. Donovan sat up with her until three in the morning in the hopes that his sister would wake.

Ria's eyes opened at midnight the next day. She ran to the bathroom to relieve herself then scurried back to bed before Splendy had time to notice she'd gone. He had fallen asleep beside her on the bed. When Ria clambered under the covers he woke with a start. He looked at her with tears of joy in his eyes. He hugged her to him despite her playful fighting.

"You're awake!" he cheered softly.

"How long have I been out?" Ria asked, glancing at her clock.

"All day. Once you went to bed you were impossible to wake!" Splendy said in a hurt tone.

"Wow. I didn't _feel_ that tired," Ria yawned.

Ria sat up with Splendy for the rest of the night. They napped for a few hours at sunrise then got back up to eat and enjoy the day. Don had to leave that night since he had work to worry about, but he promised he'd visit soon. Kat stayed with Ria and Splendy for a few hours after Don left. She had to wait for Slenderman to retrieve her. She had no idea what state she lived in, let alone how to get home. Ria bombarded her with questions about her life with Slender, but Kat didn't tell her much besides what kind of training she'd done. Apparently, Slender preferred to keep the matters pertaining to him and his proxies to just them.

Slenderman arrived around nine that night for Kat. Ria begged him to stay. Splendy joined in and so did Kat. They all tugged and pleaded and pouted until Slender couldn't take it anymore. He sat in the chair, now deemed _his_ chair, and summoned Kat to him. She sat between his knees obediently. Ria glanced at Splendy and jerked a thumb at the pair. He shrugged. They sat on the couch together, Ria In his lap. A silence took over the room that made everyone uncomfortable.

"I'm kinda bored," Kat said suddenly.

"What do you wanna do?" Ria asked, hoping for a suggestion.

"I dunno...I kinda wanna...Show you guys where I'm staying," Kat tilted her head back to look at Slender.

"I don't think it would be wise to take Ria there right now," Slender shook his head slowly.

"Aw. What about Splendy?" Kat pointed to his brother.

"If he wants to go," Slender looked at the other man.

"I-I would like to see where she's been living. Ria, do you mind if I go?" Splendy touched Ria's cheek.

"Go ahead. You can tell me what it looks like or whatever when you get back," Ria smiled.

"Alright!" Kat shot up and punched the air.

"What am I gonna do while you guys are gone?" Ria wondered aloud.

"I know, I know!" Kat raised her hand and waved it wildly.

"What are you thinking?" Slenderman asked, a slight edge to his voice.

Kat ran to Ria and took both of her hands in her own, "Come with me!"

She pulled Ria to a standing position then ran with her to the kitchen. Ria nearly fell on her face when they skidded on the linoleum. Splendy watched them worriedly. Slender shook his head. They could be so spastic.

"What's up?" Ria laughed.

"Let's switch guys!" Kat burst out.

"What?" Ria stopped laughing.

"Let's switch guys! For the weekend. Its Friday, so we can switch back Sunday," Kat nodded frantically.

"You mean...I keep Slender here...and you take Splendy with you to your place...For the weekend?" Ria said slowly.

"Yeah. Slenders has been working is butt of teaching me and running around doing his own thing. He could use a break and he likes you enough to chill with you. Splendy and I have hardly had any time to chill and I really want the chance to get to know him better. Just this one weekend?" Kat folded her hands to beg.

"_Actually_, that sounds like fun. I bet the guys would get a kick out of it, too. I'd like some quality time with my brother-in-law," Ria chuckled.

"That's right! You're practically engaged to Splendy. You and Slendy _need_ some time together. So, it's a plan?" Kat held out her hand.

Ria shook her hand firmly, "A plan."

The girls walked back into the living room with huge smiles on their faces. Splendy smiled back. Slenderman crossed his arms looking stiff.

"So-" Ria started.

"We heard you," Slender stopped her.

"I'm certainly willing to try this! It sounds fun!" Splendy clapped his hands.

"I'm not. The answer is no. I don't have time for these things. I have my own affairs to attend to," Slender said firmly.

"Slender...c'mon. It's just a couple days," Ria groaned.

"No," Slender said again.

Kat stared at him with sad eyes. He looked at her with a blank expression, no pun intended. His face twitched a little as her eyes began to tear up. Kat's cheeks became pink.

"But...Master...," she said softly.

Ria blinked at the word "master." She hadn't heard Kat use it before. She called him "Boss" as far as they knew. Splendy smirked at Ria. He seemed to have caught onto something that Ria was missing. Slender also seemed taken aback.

"I-" Slender started to speak and stopped again.

Training Kat the way he had, all at once, was unlike him. He had his own affairs to deal with beside her and he was tiring from constantly being on the move. He'd even come to help Ria with her training. He stared into Kat's sad face as he thought. She looked as if she was going to cry.

"Just...this...once," he sighed, defeated.

"Really?" Kat brightened.

"I will return to you at midnight when Sunday becomes Monday. And I expect you to leave then, Brother," Slender pointed at Splendy.

"Alrighty then!" Kat whooped.

Splendy and Kat were gone only ten minutes later. Slenderman acted as if he was nervous for the first time. Ria was torn between laughing and being worried. She'd never seen him so tense since before her battle with Riis. He calmed down after an hour or so and the weekend switch plan was going fine. Ria talked to him about his suit and other simple things until she fell asleep on the couch. Slenderman watched her as she slept. He rubbed her head when she fussed or whimpered and spoke softly to help her remain asleep. Ria woke early the next morning and found Slender already awake watching the news. She laughed sleepily at him. He turned his head around to look at her. Ria winked and got off of the couch to get dressed.

Her weekend with Slenderman went a lot more quickly than she thought it would. Saturday was spent relaxing mostly. Ria had to go out to get some groceries in the afternoon. Slender had followed her the whole way. Keeping at a distance, he was out of sight of everyone else. Ria was thoroughly entertained by watching him pop up everywhere. They made it into a sort of game where Ria would have to spot him and smile so he knew she'd found him. It was easier for her now that she knew how to follow his energy.

Sunday was slower than Saturday, but it still seemed to fly by. It was dark by the time Ria realized that her weekend with Slender was almost over. She wanted to do something with him to make sure they both enjoyed themselves. It was hard to tell what he enjoyed, though. She'd spent her every waking minute with him for two days but she still had no idea what he did for fun. Besides toying with her mind that is.

"I don't mind sitting with you," Slender said from the chair.

"I _know_, but that's all we've really done so far," Ria complained.

"What would you like to do?" he asked.

"Wanna watch a scary movie?" Ria shrugged.

"It has been a while..." Slender rubbed the side of his head.

Ria dug out all of her best scary movies and they had movie night. She made popcorn and broke out the cheese puffs and soda. Slender didn't partake in the snacks. Ria wasn't the least bit surprised. She found that Slender particularly liked The Ring. She found this hilarious and made the mistake of calling him a freak during one of the quieter parts of the movie. Ria ended up hung by her ankles in the air for the next fifteen minutes. She nearly passed out when Slender released her. As midnight rolled around Ria was no longer paying any attention to the movies. She was more interested in Slenderman's reactions and teasing him about them. Her taunts usually resulted in a suspension above the couch. Ria didn't mind the consequences as they weren't very harsh and were actually entertaining.

Ria was laying on the couch staring up at her ex-captor at midnight. He turned the movie off and abruptly said goodbye. Ria got in a hug before he disappeared. She was sad that he was gone but was elated to see her boyfriend again. She yanked him into a bear hug the moment he returned.

"RIA!" Splendy cried as if he'd been gone for three weeks again.

"Hey, Hon!" Ria nuzzled his chest.

"How was your weekend with my brother?" he asked, lifting her into his arms like a child.

"Great! We didn't do much, but we talked a lot and went grocery shopping. We had a movie night tonight! He likes The Ring, can you believe it?" Ria laughed.

"I didn't know Brother liked movies. He rarely watches the television unless it's for the news," Splendy smiled.

"We should have a movie night, too. The last time we sat down and had a movie marathon was Christmas," Ria said, stealing the hat from his head.

"I like that idea. How about tomorrow night?" Splendy reached for his hat, which he was denied.

"Sounds good," Ria purred, leaning in for a kiss.

Splendorman kissed her sweetly at first, then more deeply. They kissed for several minutes, forgetting about the hat in the process. Ria wrapped her arms around his neck when they broke apart gasping. He gazed into her eyes lovingly. They were both flushed from the excitement. Splendy made a small, nervous noise in his throat. Ria guessed that he still wasn't totally used to the idea of them as being very intimate. She wasn't either. She kissed him again to let him know that she was perfectly fine with another make-out session.

Splendorman took the hint right away. He moved her so her legs could wrap around him. Ria dropped his hat on the floor and engaged in another round of kissing with him. Weekends with a friend were fine, but he was the one who could make her feel like no one else. They went upstairs to bed and stayed there until the next day.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: Hey guy, so I'm not getting as many questions as I thought. So...I'm going to get evil. Unless I get at least five questions in the reviews for this chapter, I'm going to put a pause on my updates. That's right, the next chapter is being held for ransom!**

**New information about this: the official name of this project is Ask The Cast. This means you can ask any character from the two stories something. This includes: Ria, Splendorman, Slenderman, Donovan, Ethan, Divass, and even Riis. Go ahead, ask away...OR ELSE. Shout outs:**

**SixxEclipses – Thank you very much.**

**Splendyandslendy – You will find out his reaction to the movie, but I took your question, and I have put in into Ask The Cast. As for what Kat's place looks like, you can read The Only. I might draw it later, but idk yet.**

**Animeguard – Hope both stories are to you liking.**

**Vihnnie – If you want Kat and Slenderman's thing to be clarified, read The Only. It's all about them! Also, I am not following Marble Hornets, the mask thing was just because I wanted a mask. Might not even keep it.**

**Taco-of-doom – I'll tell you like I told Vihnnie, reads the only if you wanna see what's going on with those two.**

**DreamingMyDreams – Thanks for being the first to put in a question! Feel free to add another if you want. Like I said, you can ask any character!**

**Tag Along**

It was now the end of the first week in April and life had settled back down for Ria after the trial. Splendorman went back to his daily routine, Ria went back to working on her art projects. They spoke with Ethan at least three times a week as did Donovan. They had finally arranged to go a visit with him at the center. It was a month away. The whole process of setting things up was stupid to Ria. It all took too long. Ria sat at her desk waiting for Splendy to come home while she finished the final page of a comic and sent it in to the company.

Home. That was a word Splendy had finally begun to use when talking about Ria's house. He'd told her that when he stayed away for days at a time he usually went back to his kind's world to sleep or eat. Ria had convinced him to call her house home now that they were together. He'd agreed and decided he would only go to the other world if he would be away for extended amounts of time. Ria was glad to have him with her every night. He got used to using the shower there and often made breakfast and dinner for her. Ria felt as if she was being spoiled, but Splendy refused to stop.

Splendy came home around ten that night and greeted Ra with a now customary hug and long kiss. Ria took hm upstairs to remove his jacket and bow tie. This a another habit they had developed. Splendy took his jacket and bow off when he came home and lounged more now. Sometimes he would walk around shirtless, but that usually led to naughty escapades in the shower or bedroom.

"All went well?" Ria asked, watching him fold his shirt and put it away in the closet.

"Yes. I was filmed this time..." Splendy turned around with an amused expression on his face, "They were convinced it was an act for a coming carnival."

"Won't _they_ be disappointed," Ria laughed.

"I suppose they might. Or they might just think they missed it," Splendy said thoughtfully.

"Any idea where you're off to next?" Ria flopped on the bed.

"Russia."

"Russia?!" Ria shot up, nearly throwing herself from the bed.

"Mm-hm," Splendy sat beside her.

"For how long?" Ria asked.

"Two weeks. Do you think you can handle that much time in a foreign country?" Splendy smiled widely.

Ria froze for a moment. She'd forgotten that the last time he'd been gone for a very long time she'd made him promise to take her with him the next time. She grinned from ear to ear.

"I think I can!" Ria cheered.

"Good, I've already asked Donovan about it. That's why I was home so late tonight. I wanted him to know where I'd be taking you and for how long. He said it was ok so long as I gave you two a way to communicate," Splendy reached into his pants pocket.

He pulled out a small book about the size of a pocket bible. It was black and spotted, like him. He handed the book to Ria. There was a string attached to it's spine. On the end of the string was a pen that was the length of the spine. It was spotted like the book. Ria opened the book and wrote "Hello" inside. "Hey, Ria!" appeared below her words in Don's hand writing. Ria crossed out the words like she had in the book Slenderman had given her. They disappeared. Ria squealed and hugged her boyfriend from behind. She wrote "Just a test" to Don. He wrote back, "Enjoy Russia."

"Splendy, this is so cool!" she cried.

"I thought you'd like it," Splendy rubbed the top of her head.

Ria put the book away. She found a suitcase in a guest room closet and packed some clothes for the trip. Splendy helped her pick clothes that would be best for where they were going. She packed jacket, lots of socks, and a coat just in case. Ria also packed her book from Slender and her art supplies. She was bursting with excitement by the time she zipped her suitcase shut. She bounced on the bed like a little kid. Splendy laughed at her playfulness.

"Ria, we should sleep. If you want to keep our usual schedule and all, we'll have to get up earlier than usual," Splendy caught her mid bounce.

"Aw...ok," Ria pouted.

Ria and Splendy changed into their pajamas. Ria had a spaghetti strap and some shorts, while Splendy had just a pair or cut off shorts. Ria had made them for him from a pair of old pj bottoms. They climbed into bed once the lights were off and snuggled close together. Ria cuddled up to Splendy's chest while he was on his back. Splendy hooked an arm around her smaller body. If he hadn't shrunk himself down, he could have held her entire body in that arm. Ria had made plans to buy a bigger bed, to make him more comfortable. Splendy liked the idea of being able to stretch out more when they slept, among other things.

Ria wrapped a leg around Splendy's hips. He sighed contently in response, his eyes closed. Ria grinned to herself. She wasn't the least bit tired yet. It was too early for her to be. She moved closer to Splendy. She rubbed her hand over his abs in slow circles. Splendy took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He made to move to stop Ria. This only encouraged the girl. She began placing tiny kisses along his pecs and collar bone. All the while her hand moved steadily lower. Splendy fought back moans as her ministrations began to make his skin heat up. Ria moved her head up to nip at his neck. She dragged her tongue along the pulse line of his neck until she met with his jaw. Splendy groaned loudly now. He panted hard, trying to keep his eyes shut. Ria would have none of it. She reached the hem of his shorts and let out a low, malicious laugh. Splendy's eyes snapped open when he felt her hand on his already hardening member.

"_Ahhh_," he moaned.

"Looks like you're just as awake as me," Ria giggled.

"R-Riaaaah...We...Have to sleep," Splendy whined weakly.

"I'm not tired yet," Ria cooed, "Cmon, you're not tired, either."

Splendy moaned again. Ria pulled and massaged his member gently, bringing it to full mast. She moved her hand lower to do the same to his balls, making Splendy cry out. She knew it was his weakness. When she touched him there, no matter what they were doing, Splendy would be hard in seconds. Ria slid herself on top of Splendy, leaning down to kiss him. Splendy kissed her back hotly. He'd given up resistance on the last touch. He wasn't tired, and what better way was there to become tired than to have a little intimate fun?

"Alright, but then...we sleep," Splendy nodded.

The couple was spent and sleeping by two a.m. Splendy woke Ria at ten the next morning. He made her a breakfast of eggs and bacon. Ria noticed that he'd already finished his food when she walked in. He always did that. It was very rare that he would eat in front of her.

"How come you always eat before I come in?" Ria asked.

"Oh, I...ah ha..." Splendy blushed.

"What?" Ria cocked her head.

"Well, I'm embarrassed of my teeth," Splendy admitted.

"Why?" Ria moved around the table to him.

She was curious now. Even when he smiled, he didn't show his teeth. It was like they receded into his mouth so they wouldn't show.

"This is why," Splendy pulled his lips back over his teeth.

They were perfectly white and straight. Some of them were also perfectly sharp. He had fangs and a couple sharp molars on each side of his mouth, top and bottom. Ria reached up to pull his face closer to hers. Splendy closed his lips, but she gently pulled them open again. She looked at the sharp teeth for a few moments.

"You're a vampire," she cracked.

"I am not! I don't even _like_ vampires, they're scary!" Splendy covered his mouth with his hand and backed away.

"Weren't all of your teeth sharp before..." Ria trailed off.

It had been a while since they talked about Splendy's partial transformation so long ago.

"Yes...I can make them that way," he sighed, knowing Ria would want to see.

He closed his mouth for a second then opened it again, revealing a full set of razor sharp teeth. Ria gasped slightly. She pulled his face to hers again. She touched the sharp tip of one of his teeth.

"Does that hurt?" she asked.

"No," he said, closing his mouth and setting it back to normal.

"That's pretty cool. Remind me to never tell you to bite me," Ria chuckled.

Splendy chuckled, too. His laughter was cut slightly short by Ria's lips covering his. He whimpered into the kiss. There was something about the feeling she conveyed through it that made him feel weak and empowered at the same time. He knew what she was telling him with that kiss. It was what she'd told him their first time together. "Don't be embarrassed."

With the dishes and oral exploration all done Splendy took Ria outside, returned to his normal height, took Ria's things in his hands, and placed Ria on his back. He whisked them away to Russia, near the Red Square. It was dark there already. They were hidden well by houses and buildings all around. Splendy looked around corners before darting around with Ria. Ria laughed every time he ran from one hiding spot to another. They finally arrived at a large house on the edge of the city. There weren't many other houses nearby. Ria jumped to the ground and peered into a window.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"We're near the Red Square. I didn't mean to make us show up co far into the city. This is my friend Yohan's home. He already knows we're coming," Splendy knocked of the door as he shrunk down again.

"Coming! Coming!" an accented voice called.

Ria smiled brightly. She loved accents. This man's voice sounded cheerful and friendly. Go figure. The door flew open and the owner of the voice stood there, beaming at the new arrivals. This young man was tall, as tall as Splendy in his shrunken state. He had neat, black hair in a long, braided ponytail with bangs that reached his eyebrows. His eyes were unbelievably green and sparkly. Ria could tell that beneath his long sleeved shirt he was hiding some serious muscles. He looked even beefier than Splendy!

"Splendorman! Good to see you, my friend!" Yohan opened his arms wide.

Splendy hugged his friend happily. Yohan spotted Ria and cried out in joy. He pulled her into a hug without warning. Ria laughed and hugged him back. His joy was as contagious as her boyfriend's.

"_Ria_! Ah, the girl you have told me so much about, Splendor, you have finally brought her for me to see!" Yohan held Ria's upper arms as he spoke to the other male.

"Yes, I promised I would," Splendy smiled.

"Wait, you talk to people about me?" Ria grinned.

"Oh, he does! He loves telling me and my brother all about his most precious girl! We've been dying to meet you. Mamma has been waiting, too. Oh, come inside!" Yohan pulled them both into the house.

The house had high ceilings and doorways. It was beautiful and there was lovely artwork and furniture everywhere. Yohan gave them a tour of the house while going on and on about Splendy's past visits and the way he talked to the about Ria. Splendy was a nice shade of pink during most of the tour. Ria constantly thew him winks ans smiles.

Downstairs, there was a large living room, dining room, a toilet, and a huge kitchen. There was a library packed with books and amazing artifacts. Upstairs there were five bedrooms, one huge bathroom, and a balcony at the end of the hallway that faced the city. There was an attic full of old things like clothes and art. Yohan told them that they often went up into the attic to get to the roof where hey would set off fireworks. When they made it back to the living room another man and a smaller old woman were there. The man was identical to Yohan except for his unbelievably blue eyes and short, non-braided ponytail. His bangs were cut the same way. The woman had salt and pepper hair pulled into a neat bun and gray eyes. She looked to be about fifty years old.

"Come, meet my twin brother, Yosav, and my dear Mamma Lada," Yohan pulled Ria by her hand to the two others.

Lada shook Ria's hand first. She gave her a kind smile. Ria smiled back.

"It's lovely to meet you. Splendor has been coming here for a two months, and he always tells us of a wonderful young woman who makes him very happy," Lada said, going to welcome Splendy.

"Good to see you again, Lada," Splendy smiled and bowed his head.

Lada took his hands in her and gave them a squeeze.

"Yosav, this is Ria, the one we heard about!" Yohan pulled Ria to his twin.

The blue eyed man shook Ria's hand vigorously. He have her a broad, toothy smile. Ria smiled back.

"Nice to meet you, Ria. I hope my brother hasn't talked your ears off," Yosav said.

His voice was slightly deeper than Yohan's.

"No, he's been great!" Ria winked at Yohan.

"Ah, so, how long are you staying with us?" Yosav asked Splendy, hugging him.

"Two weeks. If that's alright. I normally wouldn't need somewhere to stay, but I have a new policy to bring Ria along when I'll be away from home for a very long time," Splendy said.

"Of course it's alright!" Lada interjected.

"Yes, you two are as welcome as family. You can stay whenever you like, for as long as you like!" Yohan put and arm around Ria's shoulders.

Ria couldn't help but smile. The atmosphere here was as warm and inviting as the people. Splendy was all smiles, too. The couple was shown to one of the rooms upstairs. The walls were deep blue and everything looked like it belong to royalty. Ria opened a window and leaned out. Splendorman held her from behind and looked at the city. Yohan watched them from a doorway.

"Everything here is so nice...Are they rich?" Ria asked.

"We are, but don't expect to hear of us in the news. Our family is full of businessmen. We own many businesses around here, but we don't do anything to draw much attention. We like a quiet life," Yohan said.

Ria looked past Splendy's arm at him.

"Wow. How'd you guys meet Splendy here?" Ria asked.

"He helped Mamma carry groceries home one night after she had a bad fall. He has been a welcome friend since," Yohan smiled.

"Aw," Ria snuggled Splendy's arm.

Yohan left the room, closing the door behind him. Ria unpacked her things and put them away in the empty dresser. Splendy sat on the large bed with her when she was done. He held her in his lap with her legs on either side of him. Ria tugged off his hat and bow tie. She unbuttoned the top half of his jacket to slide her hands inside. Splendy shivered. He pulled her into a sweet kiss.

"How come you never told me about having friends elsewhere?" Ria asked.

"Until after your trial I was slightly afraid to. I didn't want you to learn about all these people, then meet them...if you were going to lose your memories and never get the chance to see them again. I knew you would pass...but I didn't want to take that chance. Now, I can have you meet _all_ of my friends," Splendy kissed her ear.

"How many are there?" Ria trembled.

"Only six others. I have one in France, two in Britain, one in Germany, one in Japan, and one more in India," Splendy counted on fingers with two extra hands behind his back.

Ria laughed. Splendy tucked away his extras and focused his attention on Ria. The two of them held each other and kissed and touched for a while. Ria was nibbling Splendy's neck when a loud knock on the door startled them.

"We're going to set off some fireworks in celebration of our two friends' arrival! Come to the roof with us!" Yosav shouted from the other side of the door.

"Let's go!" Splendy buttoned his jacket and placed Ria on her feet.

"Awesome!"

Everyone but Lada was out on the roof just minutes later. Yohan and Yosav had brought up seats for all of them. Splendy sat with Ria in his lap in a sturdy wooden chair. Yohan and Yosav set off the fireworks one by one. They weren't like the cheap things you could get in Pennsylvania. They were real, full fledged fireworks and they were amazing. They flew high above the house and the city and exploded into bright, vivid colors. Ria and Splendy watched and cheered. Yohan convinced them to set off a couple of the smaller ones on their own. All in all, it was real party on the roof and it only got better when Lada brought up dinner, which was delicious. Ria didn't even make it to bed by herself that night. She fell asleep in the living room listening to Yohan and Yosav tell stories of hunting and parties and dancing. Splendy carried her to bed after saying goodnight to their hosts. He dressed Ria in her nightclothes and tucked her in beside him. He placed a feather light kiss on her lips and snuggled her to his side.

"Tomorrow will be just as wonderful," he whispered.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: So, it seems the requirements were met. Lucky you! Here you go, another chapter...Enjoy while you can...Shout outs:**

**DreamingMyDreams – I did that on purpose, I knew your laptop needed a bath! Lol. Don't tease me with chocolate, you brute!**

**Supanovart123 – Actually, these two were characters I had in the making for another story I wanted to write, but never did. In a lot of scenes in my mind, these guys became very important to me, so I decided to throw them inn somewhere they'd fit and be loved.**

**Cyndermetaknight – Have you read The Only? It goes into better detail on their relationship. It also shows Kat's version of badassery. And keep in mind, Splendy and slender are twp very different guys with two very different personalities.**

**Animeguard – thanks. I'm glad you ****love, love, LOVE my work!**

**Disappearing Act**

Ria was enjoying her time in Russia. She'd gone with the twins to the Red Square six times. Her schedule had changed to a daylight one again. She and Splendorman went out together near sunset every day to hang out in the Square and perform. The people didn't seem to think he was weird, but looking at some of the other attractions there, Ria wasn't surprised. Splendy had her help him do all sorts of magic tricks, which she didn't know he could do, and she helped him hand out flowers to the locals. Yohan and Yosav got a kick out of their shows as well. They helped them draw people in. Every day Ria and Splendy were making people happy and every night they were laughing and relaxing with their friends. Ria even gotten Don to have chats with the twins through her little book. It was great fun watching them react to his words on the paper.

When Ria wasn't doing something with the boys, Lada had her in the kitchen or the garden. She taught her how to cook all sorts of potato and fish dinners. She gave Ria some seeds to take home so she could start her own garden. Ria was really looking forward to having something take up the space in her back yard. Ria loved that she was learning so much. She couldn't wait to show off her new cooking skills to Donovan and the others.

The two weeks in Russia passed very quickly. On the last day, Ria and the boys were in the square performing one last show. Ria had gotten good at cards tricks. She was in the middle of one of her tricks when someone called for Splendy to do a trick that would require her assistance. Ria laughed. This trick was a real crowd pleaser. He was going to make her disappear.

"Come, Ria! Don't keep the audience waiting!" Yohan scooped her up in his strong arms.

"Yes, under the sheet you go!" Yosav unfurled a bright blue silk sheet.

Ria stood still as the sheet was tossed over her. Splendy stood behind her as usual. He placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Ready, Ria?" he whispered.

"Yeah...but since it's our last show, let's give them something extra special!" Ria giggled.

"Like what?" Splendy asked as the twins began announcing the trick to the crowd.

"Put me near the top of the cathedral," Ria whispered back.

"Are you sure?" Splendy asked.

"Yeah, you can get me right back down when I wave the sheet over myself," Ria smiled.

The twins announced that it was time for Ria to disappear. Splendy removed his hands from her shoulders and whipped the sheet off. Ria disappeared a split second before the sheet did, showing the crowd only empty air in front of Splendy. Splendy whipped the sheet in a circular motion and made it vanish into Ria's arms. Ria clutched the sheet tightly and watched the crowd cheer below. Yohan and Yosav did their part, then with a word from Splendy, the both pointed to where Ria was on top of the cathedral. She waved to the cheering crowd. Splendy gave her a thumbs up. Ria whipped the sheet back around herself. When it came off of her, she was back in front of her boyfriend and a large, cheering crowd. She bowed and handed the sheet back to Yohan.

"Toooold yooooou," she sang to Splendy.

"You were right, but don't ever have me send you somewhere so dangerous again," Splendy lifted her onto his shoulder.

The group waved and bowed to the crowd. Eventually, the crowd dissipated. Splendy and the boys gathered the props and things to go home. Ria gathered her bag of souvenirs. She'd bought herself and Splendy several small things to remind them of their friends and their times together. She had a classic set of dolls and some clothes for herself, she'd gotten Splendy a set of dolls as well along with a comfy fur hat. They all made their way back to the house with huge grins on their faces. It was a bittersweet walk for Ria. She did miss home, but these guys were so nice and so lovable she wished she could take them with her.

They entered the house laughing about how Splendy looked in his newest hat. Ria thought it was cute until he put the flaps up and made himself look like a "proper lady." Lada greeted the group with hugs and kisses as was customary. She had dinner cooking on the stove and the T.V. was on with the local news. Ria blinked back tears as she hugged the kind woman. She had no idea when she would see her again.

"Don't you go crying over us. True friends are friends no matter the distance or time apart. You'll see us again before you know it," Lada kissed Ria's cheek.

"Thanks..." Ria squeezed her hand.

"Go, pack your things and come down for dinner. I've made a special dessert today, just for the two of you," Lada gave her a gentle push toward the stairs.

Splendy followed Ria to their room. He helped her pack her things quietly.

"We _can_ come back here sometime, right?" Ria asked him as she zipped her suitcase.

"Of course. But for now we have to let you catch up on your work and we have to see Ethan. I'm sure Don would like to spend some time with you as well. Plus there are lots of other places I still have to take you," Splendy smiled.

"Forgot about that. Wow, what a week. I wonder how Kat's doing," Ria sat on the bed.

"I don't know, why don't you ask my brother? You have his book, don't you?" Splendy sat with her.

"That's right," Ria reached into an outer pocket on the suitcase and found the book.

She scribbled a quick hello to her friend and waited. Slenderman responded two minutes later with, "Do you need me?" Ria wrote back, "No." She and Splendy exchanged glances. Something seemed off. Another message from Slender drew their eyes back to the book. "I can't talk now."

"Well, that's odd. Wonder what he's up to..." Splendy tilted his head.

"I dunno, but he doesn't want to be bothered," Ria sighed.

"I hope everything is ok," Splendy said.

Ria snuggled into his side. He put his arm around her to pull her closer. They sat in silence for a few minutes just thinking about what could be going on back home. Yosav knocked on the door, breaking them from their thoughts.

"Are you coming to eat?" he asked from the other side of the door.

"Yeah, we're coming," Ria called back.

The couple went down the stairs hand in hand. The sat together at the table. Yohan was helping Lada serve the food. Yohan had busied himself with the T.V. He kept flipping the channels and pressing buttons on the remote.

"Whatcha doin'?" Ria asked.

"I thought you guys might want to know what was going on back in your country before you returned. I figured you might not want to be surprised by anything. _So_...I am trying to get this thing to go to one of your channels," Yosav kept pushing buttons.

Yohan and Lada were seated before he had any success. He flipped through channel after channel growing increasingly frustrated. Finally, he found the Buffalo News channel. Ria stopped him.

"That'll work," she said.

Yosav sat down to eat looking triumphant. They all watched the news while they ate. There were stories of stabbing and robberies along with stories of rescues and a little girl who won an award for something or other. Ria stopped paying attention when Lada brought out a load of lemon pastries. Splendy and Ria thanked her for the treats. The commercials came on and the group began to chat again.

"Buffalo sounds like a terrible place," Yohan commented.

"It's not that bad compared to other places, but it's not the nicest place anymore," Ria shrugged.

"Do you live there?" Yohan asked.

"No, I live a state away, actually," Ria munched a second pastry.

"Good. We'd fear for you every day if you went back to someplace where every day a person gets killed," Yosav sighed in relief.

"I assure you, Ria lives in a safe community and I watch out for her all the time," Splendy put and arm around Ria's shoulders.

"So, when will you have a baby?" Lada asked.

Ria choked on her pastry. Splendy gripped her shoulder painfully. Yohan and Yosav broke out into wild laughter. Lada only smiled, waiting for an answer. Ria looked to Splendy who had gone as red as his spots. She looked back at Lada with a sheepish grin.

"Uh...We haven't really been together long enough to think about that. We aren't married..." Ria laughed nervously.

"Ah, well, get married and have some babies. I'd like to see the cute children you two would produce," Lada said.

Ria went red in the face now, too. The woman said it so easily.

"I can't expect babies from these two. Gay sons can adopt, but I'd like to see my blood go on," Lada cast a playful glare at her boys.

"Gay?" Ria stopped feeling embarrassed and stared at her friends.

"Yes, didn't you notice?" Yosav asked.

"Nope," Ria laughed.

"The news is back on," Splendy pointed out.

Ria's eyes bulged as a familiar face was flashed on the screen.

"THAT'S KAT!" Splendy and Ria shouted at the same time.

Yohan turned the volume up and everyone shut their mouths to listen, pastries forgotten.

"And more breaking news in the case of little Ashlyn, taken from her home in Bemus Point two weeks ago. Police now suspect that the masked figure that John, the father of the missing girl said he'd seen may be _another_ missing girl from Chautauqua county.

Twenty year old Carissa Ferrer vanished one night a few months ago along with some of her personal belongings. There were no clues as to _where_ Carissa could have gone or _why_, but now police believe that she may have had something to do with the two year old's disappearance. Carissa, apparently, is another of John's daughters, who lived with him and his girlfriend at the time in a Jamestown apartment approximately seven years ago," a female anchor said as Kat's picture faded away.

"She and her sister, another of his daughters, made allegations that John had molested them nearly five years ago. Shortly after their accusations were dismissed, John's girlfriend's nine year old daughter came forward with accusations of her own. Again, they were dismissed until just a year ago John was caught peeping in a local tanning booth and arrested.

Police now believe that this may be an act of _revenge_ by Carissa. With no evidence to prove it, this is still just a theory, but police in Bemus Point are working hard to find out who the masked figure really is and where Ashlyn has been taken. We'll keep you updated on this story as we are given more information, Tom," the woman turned her head, signaling the camera to switch to her co-anchor.

Ria's mouth was wide open. Splendy had covered his with a hand. Yohan and Yosav looked at theirs friend as Yohan turned the volume back down. Lada stood up from the table and began wrapping the remaining lemon treats up. She handed the bundle to Ria. Ria closed her mouth, looking up at the woman.

"If that is your friend, you'd best go home and see what you can do to help her, or stop her," Lada put a firm hand on Ria's shoulder.

"Yeah," Ria blinked back at the T.V. screen.

"Ria..." Splendy stood up.

Ria ran upstairs for her suitcase. She bolted outside where Splendy and the others were waiting. What the hell was Kat up to? And what was Slender letting her do?

"Be safe going home," Lada hugged the girl.

"We will," Splendy said.

"I hope the next time we meet everything will be alright," Yohan hugged Ria and kissed her.

"Me too," Ria hugged and kissed Yosav next.

"Thanks for everything. We'll be back when we can," Splendy said, lifting Ria and her suitcase from the ground.

"Later," Ria waved.

The couple vanished from Russia and reappeared right back in Ria's yard. Ria yanked her book out from her suitcase before allowing Splendy to take it upstairs. She sat on the couch and started writing to Slenderman. It took him an hour to respond. Splendy had Ria in his lap. He watched over her shoulder as she frantically wrote to his brother. Slender had blocked him from communicating with him telepathically. This was only way to speak with him at this point.

"Where are you?" Ria said as she wrote the words in the book.

"What's wrong?" was Slender's reply. Ria scribbled quickly, "Get here now please!" Slender responded with, "Do you need me?" Ria scoffed. Splendy patted her arm and kissed her cheek in an attempt to calm her.

"Yes!" Ria yelled as she wrote.

Slenderman was suddenly standing between them and the T.V. Ria shot off of Splendy's lap. Splendy followed her to his feet. Slender stood there silently, waiting for them to tell him what they needed. He tilted his head at Ria. Ria crossed her arms at him like an angry parent.

"What the _hell_ is going on with Kat?!" Ria demanded.

"That is not for me to say," Slender shook his head.

"What do you mean?! She's _your_ proxy!" Ria pointed at him accusingly.

"I mean I have not seen her for nearly two weeks. I left her on her own," Slender said.

"Brother, have you seen the news? Do you know what's going on?" Splendorman asked.

"I have and I do. I can't explain everything to you, but Kat has had something happen to her in her past. Something her father did to her scarred her beyond even my abilities to repair. I left her there to decide for herself what to do about it. She has to find her own way to heal herself. She has to find the strength to do whatever it is she feels is best. I will not interfere unless she calls me to do so," Slender sat in his chair, "It is up to her what becomes of this."

"And what about that baby?" Ria stood in front of him, still looking angry and concerned.

"She is with a safe family. One _without_ a man who will hurt her and take her innocence. She will have the chance to grow up without legal battles and pains and secrets. She will have the safety and security that Kat wanted for her...since she could not have it herself," Slender said calmly.

Ria stopped glaring at her friend. Splendy made a sobbing sound behind her. She turned to see him wiping a tear from his eye. He looked at her then reached over to wipe a tear that Ria hadn't noticed form in her own eye. Ria looked back at Slenderman who was as cool as a cucumber. Ria had never asked about Kat's past. The girls hadn't spent a whole lot of time really getting to know each other. They'd talked about art and other similar interests, but they'd never really delved into each others' lives. Ria thought about what she'd heard on the news and what her friend had just told her. Was there no other way to resolve this? The police had dismissed what Kat and he sister had said before...they'd dismissed what the little girl had said, too. Maybe there wasn't a legal way, but did that make it ok for Kat to deal out justice on her own?

"Think of it like this," Slender read her thoughts, "What would you want if it had been you and Donovan?"

Ria looked up at his blank face. She couldn't begin to imagine how she'd feel or what she'd do. She'd fight a demon just to keep Ethan and Donovan safe. She'd give her life to keep the ones she loved happy, and she'd do everything in her power to get back at anyone who harmed them. So, yes, Ria would probably do something like what Kat was doing, if it had been her. There was still one question that bothered her.

"Will she be safe?" she asked.

"Is she in danger where she is?" Splendy asked, taking Ria's hand.

"There is always danger for my proxies, but she will be ok," Slenderman said.

"I feel so...useless...I can't do anything..." Ria squeezed Splendy's hand.

"We can be here for her when she gets back," Splendy told her, tilting her face to look at him.

"You are already helping her," Slender said, folding his hands under his chin and looking at the floor.

"What?" Splendy blinked.

"You two are part of her power. There is something I have learned about this girl. She draws strength from the people she loves. You two, just by being her friends, are giving her the strength to fight on and keep herself alive," Slender told them , looking back up.

"Good, then when she comes back alive I'm going to kill her!" Ria smirked.

"Over my dead body," Slender chuckled.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Well, I'm guessing you guys didn't like that last chap to much, so here you go. A little bit of fluff, a little bit of angst...OH HEY! I've got this project idea, but I won't do it unless I know someone out there's going to give a damn. WHO WANTS TO HEAR THE CHARACTERS' VOICES?! If I get positive feedback on this, I will make comics and such especially for youtube and I'll add the voices of the cast to them. I'll read lines directly from the story as a start, a sample if you will, but you guys gotta let me know if this sounds like a neat idea or if I should just forget it. Shout outs:**

**DreamingMyDreams - I drew that...I didn't like how it came out, but if I come up with a pic where I do I'll post it on deviant.**

**SixxEcplipses – You'll get your answer soon enough.**

**Splendysdslendy – Sorry for the wait.**

**Animeguard – Thank you dearest.**

**Age Old**

Ria chewed her nails in worry over Kat for a few days. Slenderman didn't come back after she'd called him. She figured it was best to let him and Kat do what they had to. There was nothing they could do anyway.

Ria stopped her worrying eventually. She forced herself to stick to her normal routine of working, talking to Ethan when he called, and enjoying Splendorman. He was always good at keeping her focused and happy. He helped her keep track of the work she had to catch up on. He came up with ideas to keep her busy in her down time so that she wouldn't start on what Kat was up to or bother Don while he as at work. Factory work was a lot different from Tim Horton's, and he couldn't afford to receive texts and calls whilst on the job. Splendy also helped Ria around the house. His tendrils were as good for cleaning as they were for hugging.

Splendy had Ria continue her training exercises with him almost every day. They often played hide and seek in the woods. Ria was getting very good at finding him, but she wasn't as good at avoiding him. This was mostly because she didn't want to not be found by him. It had been nearly a week since they'd seen Slender. Ria was darting around the forest, trying to hide from her boyfriend, when Donovan's voice called from the yard.

"Ria?" Don called.

"Don?" Ria skidded to a stop.

Splendy stepped up beside her, "I didn't know he was coming."

"Neither did I," Ria panted, "He didn't call me. I hope something hasn't gone wrong."

Ria and Splendy hurried to the path where Don met them. He looked upset. Ria hugged her brother hesitantly. She could feel that he was tense. Splendy hugged him, too, attempting to get a mile as he pulled away.

"What's wrong?" Ria asked.

"Our appointment got moved," Don huffed.

"To when?!" Ria threw her hands out at her sides.

"Tomorrow. I had to beg someone to cover my shifts so I could come over here. I only just got the call today," Don said.

"Why did they move it?" Splendy asked.

"I don't know. Ethan didn't say much over the phone. He's sounding really off these days, have you noticed?" Don asked his little sister.

"Yeah...He's sounded tired lately...you think something's gone wrong with him?" Ria's brows knitted together.

"I don't know, but I guess we'll see tomorrow," Don exhaled.

Ria took Don and Splendy back to the house for lunch. She didn't like the feeling she was getting about the upcoming visit. Her feelings were shoved to the side when Don began questioning Splendy. Ria listened as he wet into his big brother mode and asked Slendy all sorts of questions about himself. Most were simple questions like, "Will you take care of her?", but the one that got Ria's attention was about Splendy's age. Splendy tugged his collar nervously while Ria and Don watched him expectantly.

"Well," Ria poked Splendy's arm, "How old are you?"

"I don't think you'd be comfortable with my answer..." Splendy blushed.

"I'd suggest you tell us...or _else_..." Don faked a menacing voice.

Fake or not, the voice did its job. Splendy heaved a sigh, keeping his eyes averted from Ria and Don.

"I'm...Three thousand twenty eight years old," Splendy said quietly.

Ria's jaw dropped open. Don gasped and sat back in his chair. Splendy blushed even redder now. Ria laughed loudly.

"Splendy..." Ria snickered, "You're a geezer!"

"I am _not_!" Splendy whined.

"Wow, I never would have guessed," Don laughed.

"So you don't think he's too old for me?" Ria asked Don.

She got up from the table and walked around it to her flustered boyfriend. He turned his head away from her in embarrassment. Ria kissed his cheek softly and pulled his head around so he could look at her again. Don tapped his finger on his temple as if he was thinking very hard. He looked at the couple for a long moment.

"I don't think so. He ages differently from us, right? He acts very young, even though he's so much older than us. I don't think it should be a problem..." Don winked.

"Oh good. His age just means he's got lot's of experience, if you know what I mean," Ria winked back.

Splendy buried his face in his hands. He moaned mournfully though he wore a small smile. Ria could see his smile from where she was. She grinned and kissed his neck, effectively making him look back up as he tried to cover his neck and dodge another kiss in the sensitive spot. Don rolled his eyes as he kicked back from the table.

"I think I'll go watch some T.V.," he said, leaving the couple alone.

"Mmmmm..." Splendy whimpered.

He reached for Don while he watched him walk away. He feigned an attempt to get away from Ria, though his efforts were less than commendable. Ria hugged him from behind with her arms around his neck lightly. She nipped his flesh and his false efforts ceased. Ria undid his bow tie and removed it. She unbuttoned the top button on his shirt. Splendy held very still. He was shaking slightly as Ria fingers pulled his collar aside. Ria smiled with her lips pressed against his skin.

"Ria...Don's..." Splendy twitched.

"Shh, I'm not gong to hop in your lap _right_ _now_...Can't I just give you some kisses?" Ria whispered into the crook of his neck.

"Mmph...Alright..." Splendy couldn't resist anymore.

Ria chuckled lightly. She pulled his collar further away from his neck. She kissed from his pulse line to his jaw and back down. She kissed along the area where his neck and shoulder met. Splendy's claws dug into the table, leaving scratch marks behind. He was no good at resisting the sensations Ria's kisses and touches brought to his body. He'd never been so sensitive to someone before. If Ria were to hit him it would probably have been the worst pain of his life.

"Splendy?" Ria whispered.

"Yes, Ria?" Splendy opened his eyes, only just realizing that he'd closed them.

"I love you," she kissed his lips.

"I love you, too," he smiled back.

Those words hadn't passed many times between them. Ria felt as though she didn't want to say them too much, lest she drive him off. Splendy felt very much the same. They hardly had to say those words aloud anyway. They communicated their love through touches, kisses, and long looks that said it all for them.

Ria fixed Splendy's shirt but kept his tie. She stuffed it in her pocket and went into the living room where Don was watching the Buffalo news. He, too, had been keeping up on the news with Kat. He hadn't said much about what he thought of her actions. Ria guess it was because he was still settling with himself on his opinion in the matter. He liked to think hard about something before making any conclusions in his head. Ria and Splendy watched the news with him. When the segment came on about the case with Kat, they all gasped. John had died in a house fire.

"Police have not yet recovered the body as the grounds are still too hot and dangerous to approach. There is still _no_ word on what could had started the fire, or if it may have been the alleged masked figure. Police are currently searching for any clues they can, but at this time, the case is looking grim," a blonde anchorwoman said.

"Greeeeaaat," Ria slammed her head back onto the couch.

"Do...you think she..." Splendy gulped.

"Who else?" Ria groaned.

"Oh...my..." Splendy turned the T.V. off.

Don shook his head slowly. He stared into space for a while. Ria just closed her eyes and kept her back against the back of the couch. Splendy watched them both, unsure of what to say. What do you say when you find out that your friend is a murderer? Ok, so it wasn't for sure, but it wasn't looking like Kat was innocent either.

"We should go to bed," Ria said.

There wasn't anything else to do.

"Right, that appointment's in the early afternoon. We'll have to be up early to make to on time. You guys rest well," Don kissed the top of Ria's head and hugged Splendy.

"You, too," Splendy smiled a little.

"Goodnight," Ria mumbled.

Splendy lifted Ria from the couch. She wasn't in much of a mood to move. He took her upstairs with him. Ria got dressed once she was on her feet again. She climbed into bed with Splendy, thinking of the next day. Who knew what was going on with Kat now? She could be somewhere safe...or in a police lockup awaiting charges. Ria tried not to think about it. She focused on seeing Ethan for the first time in a long time. She was excited at the thought of finding out when he would get out and how he was doing. Calls weren't enough anymore.

Splendy pulled her close to him as usual. Ria cuddled up to his chest. She ran her hands over his muscled body, smiling with happier thoughts. Splendy smiled, too. He could get a read on her thoughts without having to actually enter her mind now. They had developed a connection that allowed them to communicate in a sense, without saying anything. It was nice to be able to know what she was up to and when she wanted something. It kept him from getting snuck up on in the house and it helped him to comfort her or fix her meals when she was just getting hungry.

"Everything will be fine, Ria...We just have to keep out chins up," he said softly.

"I know...Your brother really cares about Kat, I'm sure. I bet he's keeping a close eye on her. And as for Ethan, we'll really make his day tomorrow," Ria's smiled broadened.

"I bet you will," Splendy nuzzled her head.

"_We_ will. You can come into the room once thew door is closed," Ria nipped his collar bone.

"Alright, I will," Splendy agreed.

They were asleep minutes later. Ria dreamed of white halls and strange echoing voices. She felt like she was tied to something lying down, unable to turn and look at where she was. She kept seeing Splendy and Slender in the corners of her vision. No matter how hard she tried to call for them, she couldn't. Suddenly, a face covered with a white cloth appeared and blocked her view. She could feel herself sinking and screaming for her friends on the inside. She woke beside Splendy in a cold sweat. The sun had already risen, but Ria could tell it was very early. She climbed out of bed to take a shower. Splendy was soon to follow when her warmth left his side. Ria showered with him while Don slept. She giggled when he sprouted many tendrils to wash them both with. He was actually very efficient when it came to washing and drying. He was just as efficient in the kitchen when he made everyone a breakfast of pancakes and strawberries. Ria wanted to give him a medal for world's best multitakser. Don entered the kitchen with a sleepy grin on his face. Ria greeted him with a grin of her own, as did Splendy.

"You spoiled brat," Don patted Ria's arm, going for the coffee maker.

"I know, but he won't let me do it anymore. He's a real sweet homemaker." Ria yawned.

"_Lucky_. Where can I get me one?" Don nudged Splendy.

"Check your local supermarket," Splendy joked.

After breakfast, a check of the news, a call to Ethan, and a brief panic attack from Splendy when he couldn't find his hat, they all headed off to Golden Recovery Center. Splendy made himself invisible to everyone but Ria and Don. He liked riding in the car, but he didn't want to attract too much attention. When they arrived at the center, Splendy walked around to wait outside of Ethan's window. Ria and Don were checked in quickly. Just as they were going to be shown to Ethan's room, a voice called out from behind them.

"Wait up!" Kat cried.

"How'd you get here?" Ria asked once Kat had been checked in.

The girl had her hood up and a pair of shades on. Her skin was paler than Ria remembered. She looked a tiny bit taller and thinner. Did people still get taller when they were twenty?

"Boss dropped me off. He said I shouldn't miss the chance to meet Ethan, and he wanted me to see you guys again," Kat said in a hushed tone.

"We saw the news," Don whispered so the nurse wouldn't hear, "Aren't you afraid of being recognized?"

"Nope," Kat lowered her hood, revealing shockingly blue, straight, hair.

"Wow!" Ria laughed.

"I _know_, right? It's hot!" Kat put her hood back up.

The trio followed the nurse down a few halls until they reached Ethan's room. The nurse left them in the room with the door shut. Kat watched the nurse go with what Ria swore was a look of pure disgust. Ethan turned from his place on the bed and ran to his friends. He crushed Don and Ria in bear hugs, then hugged Kat, not caring that he didn't know who she was.

"Finally!" he cried, hugging Ria a second time.

"I know, took them long enough to let us see you," Don rolled his eyes.

"Ethan, this is Kat, the one I've been telling you about," Ria pulled Kat forward.

"Nice to meet you," Ethan shook Kat's hand.

"Ditto," Kat gave him what looked like a forced smile.

"So what's been up with you?" Ria asked.

"What do you mean?" Ethan pulled up chairs for them.

"I mean, what's been going on? You've been really different on the phone. Is something wrong?" Don asked, sitting.

Ethan sat on his bed. He avoided looking at his visitors. Ria went to the window to let Splendy in. Ethan smiled again at the sight of the spot clad man. He gladly hugged him. The group waited for him to answer Don's question. Ria watched Kat fidget in her pockets. She gave her a questioning look only to receive a shake of the head in return. Ethan finally took a breath and looked up at Don.

"I told them," he said.

"Told who what?" Ria asked.

"I told the doctors everything. About the demon...and Slenderman...I told them everything that happened," Ethan breathed shakily.

"What? _When_..? _Why_?!" Don half shouted.

"I...don't know...I just remember them taking me to my therapy session...then the doctor said something, and I woke up back in here. The next day, they started asking me questions about Slenderman and you, " Ethan pointed at Splendy, "They showed me the tapes...I was just...I spilled it all. I told them everything I knew about Slenderman and you...and that you were their friends. I don't remember saying anything they recorded me saying. I don't remember them moving me into that room I was in when they did it..."

Ria looked at Don, who looked back at her with a look of fear and concern. Splendy patted Ethan's back. Ethan was crying now. Kat looked out the window, then opened the door and looked back forth down the hallway. Ria sat on the bed next to Ethan. What had they done to him?

"All this time...they've been asking me questions about Slenderman. They've made me draw him ancd write out everything I could remember. They ask me if I've seen him sine. They ask me if I see him in dreams. They keep asking me to call to him. The doc says its 'just to prove he's not real,' but I know better," Ethan sniffled.

"What the _hell_ are they up to?!" Ria snapped.

"I don't know, but I'm sure as hell going to find out!" Don stood up.

"Don't bother," Kat said, staring out the window.

Everyone looked at her.

"Why not?" Don asked, still ready to go out the door.

"As you aren't family or his spouse, they won't release any information to you. Besides, if you act hostile over this, they'll become even more suspicious. Someone here wants to use Ethan to get to Slenderman. If they think for even a _second_ that any of us can help lead them to him, they'll do whatever they can to either keep us here or hypnotize us as they did with him. For now, you need to play it cool wand walk out of here like you just had a normal visit," Kat turned back to the group.

"How can we do that?" Don gripped the back of his chair hard, "What if they do something messed up to him before we get back?"

"We can't just leave him here..." Ria held tightly to her friend's hand.

"You won't. You'll all be back here tonight. We'll find out for sure what these guys are up to and we'll let the cops know about anything illegal that's going on," Kat said.

Ria stared at the girl like she'd lost her mind. She _must_ have lost her mind. How the hell could they do that without getting arrested?

"Just how do you expect us to be able to get in here without being caught?" Don asked.

"How do you think?" Slender asked from the window.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Hope you guys like this one! Please review...Shout outs:**

**mewterra13 – I'm not holding any tryouts, so don't worry. All the voices shall be provided by me...**

**DreamingMyDreams – Slender will be Slender. As for Ethan, I think I've unofficially decided on him and my "bad crap happens to this guy all the time" character.**

**ShadowX116 – They are an ambitious group indeed. As for the Slendy badassery, you'll have to head on over to The Only to catch that. I'll update it soon. Ty for your review in ask the cast1**

**For Whom The Bell Tolls**

The surprises just didn't seem to end in Ethan's room. First they found out that something twisted was going on at the center, then Slenderman had to show up out of nowhere, and now Ria knew Kat had some crazy plan in mind that would very likely get them all in a lot of legal trouble. She could tell Donovan and Ethan were tense, too. Splendorman didn't seem to be the least bit disturbed. In fact, he looked curious. Ever optimistic, that guy.

"Hold on...What are you guys planning?" Ria took a step back.

"We have to find out what they're doing to him to make him forget, right? And you want to get him away from what they're doing, _right_? So...I say tonight we all come back here once lights go out and find out for ourselves what's up. And when we do, we take the incriminating evidence to the police. They'll _have_ to let Ethan go and this whole place will probably end up getting shut down in the end," Kat said, smirking.

"Ok, so how do you propose we go about getting in and out without getting caught?" Don asked.

Slenderman gestured to himself and his brother, "We can hide you, but only from a certain distance. Wherever you go, we will have to follow from the outside of the building. If we come inside, our powers will cause noticeable interference with their security system."

"That's right. We can cloak you, in a sense," Splendy snapped his fingers.

"Ok, but...What do we do once we're inside?" Ria hated how easy they were making it sound.

"You and Don will cover this floor and the next one up...You'll have to gather all the records you can on Ethan, including what may be locked away. You'll have to dig up anything they have on the interviews about these guys," Kat pointed to Slender and Splendy.

"And you?" Don crossed his arms.

"I'm going to follow Ethan," Kat pointed to the red head, "I'll find out where they take him and what they do...I'll stop them of course. In the midst of the chaos I shall so _expertly_ create, you guys will high tail it out of here and take your findings to the cops."

"Don't I get a say in this?" Ethan stood slowly.

"What would you like to say?" Slender asked.

Ethan blinked, "I...You guys shouldn't risk yourselves like this. Even if they don't do anything to you...There are legal repercussions..."

"Haven't you been listening? We'll all be cloaked. No one will see us, we'll be ghosts!" Kat leaned against her master casually.

"What are you going to do once Don and I get out?" Ria asked, wary of Kat's answer.

"I'm going to hang around for a bit and make sure that Ethan doesn't get turned into some mad scientist's zombie slave," Kat shrugged.

Ria sighed. Don sighed right along wither her. They had no choice but to go along with this now. If they went to the police telling them that their friend was being mistreated because he was friends with Slenderman, they'd be locked up, too. To think Ethan had been brought here to get help! Ria nodded slowly as she looked at Kat, then the two inhuman men. Don nodded as well, taking Ria's hand. Ethan looked at them all, tears starting in his eyes.

"You guys are really insane," he croaked.

"Well, you just can't seem to catch a break, so we've gotta get your back," Ria laughed.

"Thank you all," Ethan smiled.

"Don't thank us yet..." Kat said as Slender disappeared.

Splendy vanished, too, without warning. Ria turned to the door to see what had caused the sudden disappearance of her friends. The nurse that had led them inside was back. She had a clip board in her hands. Ethan sat on the bed with a look of fear and disdain on his face. Ria, Don, and Kat kept straight faces as they looked at the woman.

"I'm afraid your time is up," she said.

The group left Ethan with silent promises to see him again soon. Kat departed soon after they made it out the doors. They arranged to meet at eight that night. Before Ria knew it, it as time and she and her brother were back outside the center with Splendy. They hid in the part of the garden that had a few cherry trees growing for cover. Kat and Slender soon arrived, ready for the insane task ahead.

"Did you get your bags?"Kat asked.

"Yeah. What have you got?" Ria asked, looking at Kat who had no backpack.

"Knife, rope, duct tape, flashlight, camera, and some masks. Just in case," Kat pulled each item from a different pocket as she listed them off.

She handed Ria and Don each a piece of stretchy black material. Ria pulled it over her head. She could see through it well enough, but no one would be able to see her face. Ria removed the mask and pocketed it. Don looked down at his nervously.

"Cold feet?" Ria asked.

"A little...it's all easier said than done," he laughed nervously.

"I know...Everyone ready?" Ria looked around at her companions.

"Not yet!" Splendy reached into his pocket.

He extracted the bell he'd given Ria. Ria took it from him, giving him a questioning look.

"Remember, if you need me, all you have to do is call out with your mind. This will help me keep track of you and assist you without being there," he said.

"Great...Let's go," Ria headed off with her brother and Splendy toward the front of the building.

Kat headed toward Ethan's room window. Ria cast a backward glance at her friends. Kat caught it and sent her a wink that was barely noticeable in the dark. Ria tried to swallow down the angst that burned inside her the moment they mobilized. There was no room for nerves now. Splendy transported Ria and Don inside and covered them so that only they could see one another. They started off running down the hallway to the reception desk. A night nurse was there sitting in a chair. Ria groaned and got Don's hand clapped over her mouth. The nurse didn't even bat an eye.

"They can't hear you," Splendy's voice said in their minds.

Don removed his hand with a relieved sigh. Ria looked around the hallway for something to distract the nurse with. She spotted a cleaning cart and mop bucket just a few feet away. She pointed a it, walked to it, and kicked it over. Don gasped and was about to rip her a new one when the nurse shot up and went to the mess. Ria cheered, kicking some of the cleaning supplies around.

"Look through the desk while you can!" Ria called to her brother.

Don went to work immediately. The nurse cursed under her breath while she chase stray rolls of toilet paper down the hallway. Ria nudged one along gently further and further. It was almost too fun. Don found what he was looking for just as the nurse made her way to the roll Ria had been playing with. He stuffed all the documents pertaining to Ethan in his bag. Ria ran to him with a grin on her face. Don rolled his eyes.

"There are more files in a storage room upstairs. They're all marked alphabetically. The tapes should be in there, too," Don told her.

"Off to the second floor," Ria started to jog away.

Don grabbed her collar, "How are we supposed to get into that room?"

"Kat...didn't mention that," Ria smiled sheepishly.

"I can unlock the door for you, but you have to get the bell close enough to it. The room is at the end of the hall on the opposite side of the building form Ethan's room. I'll have to leave you guys exposed for a minute when you get halfway down the hall upstairs. Wait and hide until I can get around to the side closest to the file room, then run to get close enough for me to cloak you again," Splendy said.

Ria looked at Don. Don took her by the hand and they ran all the way up the stairs. Some men in white coats passed by them. Ria was mashed against the wall by Don's arm. He, too, was as flat as he could make himself. When the men passed they took off until they reached the halfway point in the hall. The put their masks on. Ria stuffed herself into a small alcove with her brother and waited. A few more men and a woman passed by them. They didn't notice the two hiding in the dark corners. Ria held her breath nervously. All it would take for them to be spotted was one little glance to the side. Splendy gave her the signal moments later. She and Don removed their masks once more.

"Which door?" Ria asked, panting.

"304," Don huffed.

"There!" Ria pointed to the left.

The siblings skidded on the linoleum. The room was clearly marked "Patient Files." Ria held the bell up to the lock to let Splendy do his thing. The locked clicked loudly, echoing down the hallway. Ria and Don looked back and forth. No one was there to hear the sound or see them enter the room. Don removed the papers he'd swiped from the desk from his bag. He ran his finger over them, searching for the information that would lead them to Ethan's complete records.

"Row five...Shelf four...it'll have his name on it," Don mumbled.

Ria followed her brother through the shelves. She kept her ears pricked up for any sounds that would indicate another person entering the room. They found the row and shelf quickly with Don's guidance. Ethan had a medium sized box all to himself. It was loaded with papers and tapes, all marked with times, dates, and labels for what they were from. Ria lifted the latest marked tape from the box.

"Final interview," she read aloud.

"'Final'?" Don peered over her shoulder at the tape.

"That's what it says. It's dated two days ago," Ria put the tape back.

"That doesn't sound good," her brother said.

Don began rooting through the boxes surrounding them. Ria put the lid on Ethan's box. Don found two old boxes on the bottom of the shelf with other cases like Ethan's. He read the papers he found inside carefully, his face growing more and more shocked with each line. Ria swallowed hard over the lump building in her throat. Something was very wrong here.

"These people are _dead_! They filed false police reports saying their deaths were suicides...They'd been hounding them for information about Slenderman, too!" Don handed the papers over to Ria.

"Hung in the shower...Overdosed on stolen pills...What the hell? How long have they been at this?" Ria handed the papers back.

Don stuffed the boxes back into their places on the shelf. He dug around a little more in different boxes for a while until he found the answer to Ria's question. He selected one paper from the oldest box. Ria took it from his hand.

"Eighty six,"she read the date, "They've been at this for more than thirty ears...we gotta get to the police...they're going to kill Ethan!"

Ria and Don wasted no time getting back out of the room and down the hallway. They didn't wait halfway like before. This time the were too panicked. The only thing that stopped them was a group of people they had no hope of passing without drawing attention. They were invisible, but they couldn't move through people without touching them. Three men in white coats were standing with two female nurses at the reception desk. They were talking to the other nurse. They knew the files had been taken.

"Someone's here...and they know about the boy. Get to the file room and see if anyone's been there!" a black haired man said to the other two men.

The others ran off right away. Ria looked at Don who was just as scared as she was. The black haired man's eyes scanned the hallway as if he knew they were there. How could he possibly know? Don moved in front of Ria protectively. The nurses watched while the man walked back and forth past Ria and Don. He walked slowly like a predator on the hunt. He glanced at every object and every corner in turn. His eyes passed over Ria and her brother so many times Ria had started to shiver. Don growled quietly, pushing Ria back into the wall. The man continued walking down the hallway for several minutes. The nurses stayed where they were, blocking the exit.

"I wonder-" the man started to speak, but was cut off by the two men retuning to him.

The blond man spoke first, "The boy's files are gone!"

"The door was locked when we got there!" the second man said.

"Doctor Alan, how could someone have gotten in there without a key?" the nurse at the desk asked.

"How indeed," Dr. Alan looked back in Ria and Don's direction.

Don stood in front of Ria, holding the box to his chest. Ria looked around for anything she could use to get the doctor to move away from them. The cart had been put away along with the bucket. There was nothing else in the hall that she could move or throw without coming into direct contact with someone else. The doctor approached them again. This time he looked right at them as if he could see them. Ria thought that Splendy had somehow failed in cloaking them. Just as the doctor was about to walk right into Don, an ear piercing alarm sounded off. Bright lights flashed all down the halls and water sprayed them from over head.

"The fire alarm!" one of the nurses shouted.

A beep sounded on the phone at the desk. Doctor Alan answered the phone on speaker.

"Sir, someone's down here! They-AHH!" the person on the other end screamed.

Ria and Don took off down the all before anyone had time to notice their footsteps splashing on the floor. The doctor yelled something at his associates. Ria made it to the door first. She turned to wait for Don, but he slid into her when she stopped. Splendy transported them back outside next to him.

"What's that sound?!" he asked.

"Kat must have set off the fire alarm. We have to go now! They're planning to kill Ethan!" Ria gasped.

"Get us to the police station!" Don said, wiping water from his face.

"We have to leave them here?" Splendy glanced at the building.

People were starting to come out of all the exits. Nurses and doctors that Ria and Don hadn't even seen were escorting patients out. Ethan and the doctors from the desk were nowhere to be seen. Kat wasn't here either.

"Yes!" Ria took Splendy's hand.

Moments later, they were at the front steps to the local police station. Ria dried her face on her sleeve and looked at her brother. He nodded toward the door. They were there with the evidence, but would anyone really believe them and could they make it back in time?


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Hey everyone! I know, it's been a little longer than usual. I'm still editing the chaps and scouting for potential voice actors. I need more guys, lol. Anyway, I know its short, but I hope you like it! Read and review, maybe I'll speed up the next update! Shout outs:**

**ShadowX116 – Looks like you have some torching to do.**

**DreamingMyDreams – Good thing you like cliffhangers and suspense!**

**Camigirl215 – Don' give up, edit and try again.**

**Animeguard – You always make me feel all happy...so much love.**

**2lazy2login/Slendy's daughter – You have to put spaces in your e-mail or they block it. Send me a PM with it.**

**Kathryn – They will be mostly random bits from the stories.**

**One Believes**

Ria and Donovan ran inside the police station before Splendorman could ask what he was to do. They slammed into the front desk in a panic. The officer there paid them little mind, handing them all sorts of papers to fill out. Don tried t get him to listen to them, but he just repeatedly old them to have a seat and calm down. Ria slammed her fists on the desk.

"WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS! SOMEONE'S IN SERIOUS TROUBLE _RIGHT_ _NOW_! THE GOLDEN RECOVERY CENTER IS FULL OF MANIPULATIVE FREAKS!" she screamed at the officer.

"Golden Recovery? We have officers dispatched over there right now for a fire alarm. You two wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" the officer leaned forward, glaring at Ria.

Ria opened her mouth to answer but Don covered her face with a hand.

"No, sir, we don't know about a fire. We _do_ know that someone's been drugging and killing patients there looking for something called...gah, the slender man or something like that," Don said, playing dumb.

"I don't know what you kids are up to, but I could arrest you right _now_ for this little joke!" the officer barked.

"Damn it, it's not a joke! They _really_ are going to kill him! We can prove it!" Ria yelled as Don pulled her away from the desk.

"Get outta here!" the officer yelled back.

"No! Don, let me go! We need their help!" Ria fought futilely against her brother's grip.

"C'mon, they aren't going believe us, lets just get back there and help Kat," Don hissed in her ear.

Ria stopped fighting him. She yanked her arm away from him at the doors. Don sat the box on the ground and sat beside it. Ria paced back and forth in front of him. What was wrong with these people?! Just as Ria was going to yell at Don for not letting her get at the officer behind the desk, a man in a brown jacket came out of the station. He had short brown hair and light blue eyes. Something about him seemed different. He walked right up to Ria and Don, who stood quickly.

"I heard what you said in there. What proof do you have to back up your claims?" he asked.

"_This_," Don shoved the box toward him, "We got this from inside that place. I know, it was a crime, but we had to!"

"They're going to kill our friend all because they think he knows or knew about this slender man thing!" Ria said, playing along with Don's earlier ruse.

"Why are you just now coming here about this?" the man asked, searching through the box with one hand.

"We only just found out today! We had an appointment with out friend there, they moved it up earlier than it was supposed to be. He told us what they were doing and we found out it was true," Don rushed.

"You got these directly from the center?" the man asked, looking up at them.

"Yes, and according to those papers they're going to do in with him tonight! We gotta go and help him!" Ria moaned.

"Come with me," the man put the lid on the box and strode around the corner. Ria and Don followed. He took them to his car and had them get in the back seat. Ria held Don's hand. The man sped away from the police station toward the center. He glanced back at Ria and Don, who were thoroughly relieved that someone had believed them.

"I suppose you won't want to give me your names..." Ria and Don didn't answer, "That's alright. I won't have you turned in for this, so long as it's no joke. I'm special agent Aldrich Hobbes. I'm not from around here, but I can see these guys aren't going to be much help right now."

"Ill say," Ria shook her head.

"What agency do you work for?" Don asked.

"I'm with the F.B.I. I'm supposed to be working a special case right now, but at this point I think I might be needed a little more by your friend. Ethan, right?" Aldrich asked.

"Yeah..." Ria looked out the window.

She wished the car could go at light speed. She hoped Splendy was keeping up with what was going on. He'd have to stay out of sight of this man until they were away from him again. Ria shivered thinking of what they might have done to Ethan or Kat, if she'd been caught. What if the police already had her? Ria squeezed Don's hand. Don pulled his hand away to put his arm around her.

"Whats all this I read about Slender Man?" Aldrich asked them.

"We dunno. All we know is rumors on the internet. We never thought anyone would be so serious about it," Don lied.

"What landed your friend in this place to begin with?"

"He had a breakdown a while ago...around New Years. They sent him here to get help," Ria sighed.

"Some help," Aldrich grunted.

The car finally skidded to a halt behind one of the firetrucks parked outside the center. The building was on fire now. The flames had engulfed half of the place. Ria and Don shot out of the car like lightening bolts. They raced through the patients who were gathered behind the trucks up to the caution tape. Firemen stopped them from going any further. Aldrich came up behind them, flashing his badge.

"They're with me!" he shouted over the noise.

Ria, Don, and Aldrich moved forward, heading for the blazing building. None of the hoses aimed at the fire were having much effect. Ria nearly screamed in fear.

"Ria! Don!" Ethan's voice made the siblings turn.

Aldrich as talking with an officer. He didn't look to see Ethan run to his friends. Ria threw her arms around him, sobbing. Don hugged them both close for a short moment.

"Where is she?" Ria asked, pulling away.

"She never came out!" Ethan cried.

"Who never came out?" Aldrich returned to them.

"Our friend. She was in there with some guy! She didn't come out!" Ethan pointed at the building.

"What?!" Aldrich ran to a fireman, "Someone's in there!"

"We know! We can't get to them! The fire's blocking the exits!" the fireman pointed to flames that were bursting from the doors.

"Ria!" Slenderman's voice shouted in the girl's head, "Ria, get to her!"

"How?" Ria asked aloud.

"Brother and I will help you so you don't get burned, but you have to hurry!" Splendy's voice said.

"Why aren't _you_ in there?!" Ria demanded of Slender.

"He still has the cameras active. He is trying to lure me in. Ria _hurry_!"

"Ria?" Don shook his sister.

"Ria what?" Ethan asked.

"I need a distraction!" Ria said.

"Why...you don't think you're going _in_ there?!" Don scoffed.

"I don't have a choice. I have to get her! Hurry up and distract them so I can run!" Ria started walking bit by bit toward the building.

Don groaned deeply. He turned to Aldrich and the man he was talking to. He pointed toward the crowd and waved his arms wildly.

"HEY! HEY, LOOK OVER THERE! LOOK, _LOOK_!" Don yelled at them.

Ethan joined him, yelling and pointing toward the crowd. Aldrich and the fireman looked just long enough to allow Ria to run to the burning building. Aldrich saw her at the last moment and ran after her.

"HEY! No! _Stop_!" he cried.

Ria disappeared into the flames before he could reach her. The heat forced him back away from the doorway. Don and Ethan looked on, terrified of what was to come. Ria was inside, surrounded by white hot fire. She followed the path that Slender and Splendy had laid out for her in her mind. The fire around her parted as she moved, never touching her. Ria marveled silently at this, but it didn't last long. She knew she would have to hurry before something bad happened to Kat, or before she herself died of smoke inhalation.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: Don't hate me.**

**Two Hearts, One Stops**

Ria covered her mouth with the mask from her pocket. It was slow going through the burning hallways. Even though Splendorman and Slenderman were protecting her from the fire, she still couldn't see very well, and breathing was getting hard. Ria crouched low, to avoid the brunt of the smoke. She crawled as fast as she could for the stairs. The energy coming from below her was enough to make her sick. Something bad was happening and she had to move fast to help her friend. Once at the stairs, Ria stood hunched over and skipped down them three at a time.

"RAMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEL!" Ria heard Kat scream.

"Kat!" Ria wheezed, "Hold on!"

Ria had no time to think about the name her friend had called out. She ran down the last of the steps at top speed. She bolted into the hallway, looked around, and went left. The scene she happened upon was a horrible one. Kat was crumpled on the floor, covered in blood and huge bruises. A freak of an old man stood before her. He was kicking the breath from her lungs. Strange strips of skin dangled from his back. His face had been carved and cut six way to Sunday. Ria felt disgusted by the sight of him until she remembered why she'd come down there in the first place. She looked around for a weapon. All she could see through the thickening smoke was an ax embedded in a woman's back.

Ria ran to the corpse and extracted the ax. She ran to the old man, taking a wild swing at him. He caught the ax as if it were nothing. He plucked it from Ria's hands quickly. Ria gasped. His hand went around her throat in a flash. He grinned with sharp teeth at the new arrival.

"Now who is this? Another playmate?" he almost cooed.

"Leave...her alone..." Kat rasped

"Let me go, you freak!" Ria lashed out with her legs only to have them caught in an iron grip.

"Now, _now_...Play nice. If you help me do what she won't do, I'll let you both go, how about that?" the man tilted his head.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Ria clawed at his wrist feebly.

"Summon _Him_ to me...bring Him here...and you and your friend won't be burned t a crisp," the man said.

"Fuck you, freakshow!" Ria spat.

The man threw her over the desk toward the growing flames. The sprinklers had stopped working now. There was nothing to protect Ria or Kat anymore. They were both too far from Slenderman and Splendorman to get their help. Ria got to her knees just as the man walked up to her, leaving Kat behind the desk. Ria looked up at him with malice in her eyes. She took a few swings at him. He blocked each attack easily.

"Who the hell are you?" Ria asked.

The man bent down and snatched her up by her hair. Ria cried out in pain. She made to hit him again but she missed every time.

"You can call me Glen..." he hissed.

"Ah!" Ria scratched feebly at his hand.

"Let her go, Glen!" Kat's voice stopped the old man from ripping Ria's hair out.

"Up again?" Glen turned with Ria in hand to look at the other girl.

Kat was standing straight up. She glared darkly at the evil man. Glen glared back. Ria gasped as she was released. She looked to her friend in bewilderment. There was no way in hell she should have been able to move let alone stand the way she was. Ria could sense that it wasn't all her own strength.

"How are you even alive?" Glen snapped.

"Don't worry about that, just worry about how _you're_ going to be. Ria!" Kat nodded for Ria to come to her.

Ria ran to Kat, picking up the ax along the way. Glen roared in frustration. He started walking to them slowly.

"How?" Ria looked at Kat.

"I'll explain later. Focus all of your energy on the ax..." Kat said lowly, "When you strike, don't think about where you're going to hit. Only focus on sending your energy into the blade."

"Wh-ok..." Ria did as she was told.

She felt as if it wasn't Kat who was telling her these things, but someone else. She focused on the blade of the ax. She imagined sending all the energy in her body to the blade. Ria closed her eyes to help herself concentrate. She could hear Glen coming closer. Kat was still beside her.

"Now," the girl whispered.

Ria opened her eyes and took a huge swing at the man. Glen had been right in front of her at that point. He raised his arm to block her attack but this time he was unsuccessful. The ax went through his arm, slicing half of it off. Glen screamed a terrible scream. His voice warped freakishly. Ria watched him back away from them quickly. Kat tugged Ria back as well.

"How'd I do that?" Ria asked.

"You have different abilities than other humans, remember? We both do. Let's put them to use," Kat winked.

"I'll kill you both for that!" Glen cried.

He ran at the two girls. Kat dodged in one direction while Ria went the other way. Glen stopped to look at them both in turn. He decided to attack Kat, probably since she was more likely to be weakest at that point. Ria moved to block him, but Kat stood there without so much as twitching. She raised her hand, balled it into a fist, and let it collide with Glen's forehead.

"Raaaaghh!" Glen reeled backward.

"Ria!" Kat called.

Ria threw another punch at Glen. This time it had an effect. Glen went flying into the wall that he'd been slamming Kat into. Ria grinned at Kat. Glen got up quickly, wiping the smile off of Ria's face. Kat stood beside her casually.

"What the hell is this?" Glen snarled.

"Ria and I...we have..._Different_ hearts. We are capable of doing and understanding things that most humans are not. Your medically enhanced body is of no use to you now," Kat said coolly.

"You're lying! You weren't this strong a moment ago!" Glen shouted taking a step forward.

"Timing is everything, I suppose," Kat smirked.

Glen was tired of talking now. He lunged at the girls. Ria put her hands up using the ax as defense. Kat had her hands up, too. Glen slammed into their outstretched hands and stopped. He just hung in the air, attached to them lie a magnet. Kat turned her head to speak to Ria.

"Push him away," she said.

Ria nodded. She pushed at Glen at the same time Kat did and the man went flying. He flew right through the wall into one of the rooms. Kat grabbed Ria's arm.

"We should go while we have the time. I can't keep this up for much longer," she said.

"Alright, Slender and Splendy can protect us from the flames," Ria dropped the ax.

She started forward. Kat followed a second after her, casting a backward glance at the hole in the wall Glen had left. She followed Ria to the stairs which were almost totally blocked by the fire. Ria swept her hand through the blaze quickly to test it. She was unharmed. Kat smiled.

"Wait, my knife," Kat said, turning to search for the lost item.

Kat looked behind the desk in a panic. She found what she was looking for quickly. Kat glanced to where Glen had landed. He wasn't laying in the spot he should have been. Kat shot up from behind the desk just in time to see him approaching Ria with the ax in his hand. Ria's back was turned, so she didn't see what was coming for her. Kat rushed around the desk to stop the inevitable plunge of the blade.

"RIA!" she cried.

Ria turned around to see Glen raising the weapon above his head. Kat grabbed him in a full nelson headlock just as he was going to chop Ria's head off. She bit down with all her might into him where his shoulder met his throat. She was able to tear an enormous chunk out of his flesh. Glen gurgled and screamed as he hit the floor. Ria gagged when Kat spit out the meat she'd removed from him. She splashed some water from the floor on her face to rinse off the blood. Ria took Kat's hand and pulled her along behind her up the stairs. She could hear Glen laughing maniacally behind them.

"You won't make it out of here alive! My blood is like _poison_!" he screamed after them.

Ria ignored his last words. She focused solely on the rout that her boyfriend and his brother were laying out. They had to stop on the ground floor. Water was coming in through the windows from the hoses outside. The ceiling above their heads was beginning to collapse onto the floor. They couldn't get to the exit. Kat began to cough violently. Ria held tightly to her hand. Her eyes searched around erratically for an escape route. No matter where she looked, there was no safe way to get out of the crumbling structure. Even the floor beneath their feet was starting to feel weak. Kat fell to her knees at her side. Ria bent down to pull her up. She couldn't even get her to her feet.

"What now?" Kat wheezed.

"I...I don't know...We're blocked..." Ria panted.

"Window?" Kat pointed to a window across the way. The glass had at some point been shattered either by the intense heat or a fireman. Ria looked at ti for a second. The ceiling was about to come down right above it. There wasn't another way. They'd have to either risk it or stay trapped.

"C'mon...you gotta get up..." Ria began to cry.

"I..." Kat's eyes closed, "I can't...Get out. Tell my boss..."

Kat didn't finish what she was saying. Ria lost her hold on the girl. Kat fell to the floor, unmoving...she wasn't even breathing. Ria tried desperately to lift her, but the weight after the strain of he fight was too much. She sobbed on the girl's shoulder. Bits of the ceiling came down around them. Ria knew Kat was gone but she couldn't just leave her. She wasn't given a choice. A shadowy hand reached out of nowhere to grab Ria's arm. It pulled her to the window and roughly shoved her through it. Ria flew out onto the wet ground. She turned around to see who had pulled her out. There was a tiny figure standing on the window sill. It had a triangular shaped face that was white as snow. It's black eyes stared at her.

"Get Slenderman. The cameras won't be a problem now," it said.

Ria was going to reply, but it was gone. She ran into the arms of a paramedic. She struggled against the many pairs of hands that tried to take her to an ambulance. Aldrich's were among them. Don ran into the fray, pulling Ria along to the medical vehicle. He helped the medics strap her to a gurney. Ethan stood by with him while they put an oxygen mask to her face. Ria fought as hard as she could against them all. She had to call to Slender. She was feeling weaker and weaker with every second that passed.

Ethan took her hand in his. He looked her right in the eyes. He understood what he needed.

"Call him in your head," he whispered in her ear.

"_SLENDER_! SLENDER, YOU CAN GO IN! THE CAMERAS ARE OFF, DO YOU HEAR ME?!" Ria screamed in her head.

"Yes," Slender replied.

Ria watched the window that she'd come out of from her place on the gurney. A black shadow passed over it quickly. Just moments later Kat was falling to the ground. Ria couldn't stay conscious anymore. She blacked out listening to the screams and the sirens. She vaguely heard the sounds of doors slamming. That was all she remembered for a little while. She opened her eyes again inside the ambulance. They hadn't yet pulled away from the fire. There were probably too may people in the way. Ria sat up, now unrestrained. She ripped the oxygen mask form her face. The female medic tried to get her to lay down, but she outright refused. She threw the doors to the ambulance open too fast to be stopped.

"Ria, you have to rest!" Don said, grabbing her.

"I can't, where's Kat?!" Ria demanded, taking fistfuls Don's shirt.

"Ria-"

"Where?!"Ria yelled.

Ethan came to their side. He took Ria's hand in his. Don looked into the other boy's eyes for a long time. They were both silent. Ria glanced back and forth between them, waiting. Ethan held her hand in his, and with a nod from Don, led her to an ambulance not too far from the once she'd been in.

There were two medics inside working frantically over Kat. Her shirt was ripped open revealing the disgusting bruises and cuts that Glen had left. There was a tube connected to a hand held air pump in her mouth. There was an IV in her arm, dripping some kind of liquid into her. The male medic charged the defibrillator.

"Clear!" he said, pressing the paddles to Kat's chest.

Kat's body jumped slightly as the electric show ran through her. A mobile heart monitor beeped twice then flat lined. Ria walked forward to peak to the medic.

"She was poisoned!" she shouted.

"With what? Do you know?!" the medic asked.

Ria shook her head. Tears were streaming down her face. Don and Ethan hugged her between them. Time seemed to slow down. The noises around Ria faded away. The rush of movement left her peripheral vision. All she could see was Kat's body, limp on the gurney. The medics pumped drugs and chemicals into her, trying to combat the poison that no one could identify. Aldrich came up to the trio, trying to get them to move or look away. They all refused.

"Clear!"

"Still no pulse. No respiratory response."

"Clear!"

"Careful, the roof's gonna go! Get those men back! GET BACK!"

Ria glanced away to look at the collapsing building behind her. The roof finally went down. It made a thunderous sound as it crushed everything below it. Some people screamed. The firemen who had been close to the building backed away in a hurry. Ria felt as if she was going to fall down, too. Luckily Don and Ethan had a good grip on her between them.

"Call it..." the male medic said.

Ria and the other two whipped back around. The male medic was about to put the paddles away. The heart monitor droned one long, continuous beep. Ria screamed. She saw the little figure appear at Kat's right shoulder. It looked at her expectantly.

"Try it one more time!" she yelled.

"Ria-"

"One more! Just one more!" Ria yelled at the medics.

The two medics glanced at each other, then Ria. The complied with her demand. The man charged the defibrillator once again. The machine made a high pitched whine as it was readied. The male medic poise the paddles over Kat's chest.

"Clear!"


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: No more cliffhangers for a while after this, I swear. (Maybe) By the way, got some new teaser art up on my devianrtart page. For those of you who don't know, my deivantart name is master-roku. Derp. Shouts outs:**

**Splednyandslendy – Had you going there, right?**

**DreamingMyDreams – You know you can't hate me.**

**Weskerslayer99 – I'm sorry, it was actually hard for me to write...though not as hard as chap. 11 of The Only is going to be...*hint hint***

**flevensoncampanale – Did I spell that name right? Thank you. I'm glad you like the story!**

**Dr. Llama – Are you reading The Only? The answer is already there.**

**Seerachesmile – Glad you like them, if you want more of them, look up Ask The Cast.**

**Hard To Explain**

Ria didn't like being forced back into the ambulance. The only consolation to it was that Ethan was allowed to ride beside her. Donovan had gone with Kat. Kat...the girl really could make you worry sometimes. Leave it to her to come back right at the last minute. It must have been partly that creature's doing. Who was that little guy, and why had Ria never seen or heard of him before? Why, of all people, had Slenderman never heard of him before?

Ria had a lot of time to think about all of the questions swimming inside her head. She was treated for minor cuts and smoke inhalation and given a pill for the pain. The doctors told her that she could not leave until the next day, as they wanted to keep her overnight for observation. Classic. While Ria was treated, Kat was carted off to the operation wing. Ethan and Don stayed with Ria for a while until she asked them to go talk to Splendorman and Slender personally and give them a full update on what was going on. When they returned, Ria could tell Slender must have been in a bad mood. Both boys were shaken, looking like scared kids.

Don told her that Slender could not reach Kat's mind. She was too far gone under stress and the drugs that the doctors had used to put her out to operate. He was very upset about not being able to help her and not knowing what that small being was. Ethan's old fear of the tall man had been rekindled for a moment, as he told Ria, embarrassed.

"This has been quite a night," Ria sighed deeply.

"It's not over yet, I'm afraid," Aldrich said, walking in.

Ria groaned.

"I'm sorry, but I have to put you guys through some questions. You have to understand how odd the whole situation is. We just want to know what you know about what's been happening," Aldrich sat down beside Ria's bed on the opposite side of Don and Ethan.

"Let's start with you two," the detective looked at Ria and her brother, "Tell me where it all started."

Don began by explaining what had started on New Years. He told Aldrich about Ethan's sudden change in personality. He told him all about the time he was missing and that when he'd been found he had attacked Ria. Don made sure to leave out the part about Slenderman and Riis actually existing. He made it sound as if it had all been in Ethan's head, which Ethan went along with. Aldrich was interested in what happened when Ethan attacked. At this point, Ria took over since Don hadn't been there. She told Aldrich about what happened before the car hit him. She told him that he seemed like normal again. Aldrich remained quiet during their explanations. He kept his face blank but interested.

"The files you gave me...they were full of holes...the doctors weren't recording things properly, which goes along with what you told me. I saw one of the tapes...do you know how they made you say those things?" he asked Ethan.

"Hypnotism. They always did something with lights and words...then I'd black out and wake up back in my room hours later. I remember dreaming about the things they told me. I think they put the ideas in my head..." Ethan half lied.

"Where did you learn about this..._Slender Man_?" Aldrich asked.

"On the internet, like everyone else. I read a scary story and saw that cheap game. I never thought anyone _really_ thought he was real," Ethan lied again.

"Apparently, someone did," Aldrich leaned back.

Aldrich continued to question Ethan for a while. He asked about what he could remember from his time in Golden Recovery Center. He wanted to know about Ethan's dreams, supposedly to see if they might have hints as to what had been done to him. He asked about what had "really" happened before he'd been put in the place. Ethan just finished answering when the doctors rolled Kat into the room on a bed. The pulled the curtain around her, asked everyone to please be quiet, and left after hooking her up to an IV.

Ria looked at the curtain, wishing she could see her friend on the other side. Kat was still asleep after her surgery. A broken rib had been repaired along with a number of cuts. Aldrich was staring at the curtain, too. It seemed like he had some questions going through head that he wanted to ask Kat. Ria looked at Don, who looked back warily. He walked to Kat's side to sit with her for a while. The group was silent for almost ten minutes. They watched nurses come in and out of the room, answering questions when asked.

"How did she get involved in this?" Aldrich asked.

"We met her a couple months ago. She talked with Ethan over the phone a few times. When we found out about what was going on she wanted to help," Ria said.

"Where is she from?" Aldrich asked.

"Around here...uh, around where I live. We met at the mall," Ria suddenly felt nervous.

"A couple of months ago?" Aldrich leaned forward.

"Yeah..." Ria looked out the window.

Aldrich stood up then sat back down. Something had him either agitated or excited. Don came back to Ria's side of the room. Ethan squirmed uncomfortably in his chair. Aldrich turned to Ria's brother to address him. Don showed no sign of distress or nervousness.

"Where does she live?" the detective asked.

"Where..." Don blinked.

Don looked at Ria, who shrugged. No one but Splendy and Slender knew where she lived. That wasn't exactly something they could tell this man. Someone was going to have to come up with a believable lie and quick.

"She doesn't," Don shrugged nonchalantly.

"What?" Aldrich was taken aback.

"She...she's homeless. She stays with Ria sometimes, others she sorta camps out," Don said.

"Camps out where?" Aldrich asked.

His tone was becoming more intense with each question he asked. Something in his eyes was odd. Ria felt nervous around him. As far as she could tell before now he was a nice guy. Ethan stayed quiet in his seat. Wasn't Aldrich supposed to be asking them about him and what had gone on in that place? Why did he care so much about where Kat lived? Maybe he was just concerned...

Ria tried to make herself believe this but the detective pressed on with questions about Kat. After a while Don stopped answering things and just told the man he didn't know the answers. Aldrich returned his attention to Ethan's case. He got all the events, though most of it was lies or half truths, from each of the three who were awake. He didn't leave until very late that night when the doctors demanded he go. Don and Ethan were allowed to sleep on two tiny cots that were brought in. Don slept by Kat's side while Ethan stayed with Ria. He had pulled the curtain away so they could all see each other. Ria felt good knowing that Don would watch over their friend. Ethan was in no state to handle any more tress, and if Kat tried to move, Ria wasn't allowed to move to stop her.

Everyone had settled in just as Slender and Splendy arrived in the room. Slender stood at the foot of is proxy's bed, staring at her like one would stare at a dying puppy. He didn't move to touch her, he didn't speak, he just stared as if he was afraid that if he looked away she'd disappear. Splendy sat beside Ria's bed opposite where Ethan had set up. He took Ria's hand and smiled gently at her. Ria smiled back. She glanced at Slender, nodding her head toward him to silently ask Splendy what was wrong. Splendy looked over at his brother sadly.

"He's afraid for her. It's not something he used to feeling anymore," Splendy whispered.

"Slender..?" Ria called quietly.

He looked her way. Even without eyes Ria knew that the look on his face was a lost one. He was distant and probably had barely heard her.

"You alright?" Ria asked, sitting up, "She's gonna be just fine, you know."

"I wasn't so sure. I have never lost my connection with one of mine like that for so long. I have never been unable to sense another being. I have not been able to communicate with her...so I _didn't_ know that she was alright. With that man here I couldn't even ask," Slenderman gripped the bar at the bottom of Kat's bed.

"She had to be put under for the surgery. She'll wake up by daytime," Don told Slender calmly.

"No offense, but...why do you care so much? I know she belongs to you and all, but you let her go in there. You must have faith in her, right?" Ethan turned his head to ask.

"Yes...But, it is more than that..." Slender whispered, more to himself than anyone else.

"What's _that_ mean?" Ria asked, a smile tugging the corners of her mouth.

Splendy, Don, and Ethan perked up now. Slender looked at them all in turn. He only just seemed to have realized what he'd said. He apparently hadn't meat to say it aloud or in front of them. Ria grinned. Slender didn't blush, but she knew he was flustered. A laugh from Splendy confirmed her suspicion. Slender glared at his older brother for a moment. Splendy only smiled back at him, making him more upset. Ria tried not to smile, but she was fighting a losing battle. Ethan and Don picked up on what she had. They grinned at the tall, faceless man.

"I never thought I'd see the day," Ria leaned back, folding her arms behind her head.

"Brother..._when_?" Splendy's eyes sparkled.

Slender shook his head. He paced shortly at the foot of Kat's bed. He glanced around the room randomly. Ria hadn't seen him so agitated since the problem with the creature or Riis. He stopped pacing, looking at Kat for another long moment. He looked back at his brother and Ria. Ria looked back at him, her smile still in place. Splendy's smile hadn't faded either. Don and Ethan were watching like he was that hottest new movie at the cinema.

"I'm not sure _when_," Slender nearly spat.

"But you _are_ sure?" Splendy inched forward in his seat.

Slender remained silent. He did not look at anyone in the room.

"So...are you two...like...an item..?" Ria got excited.

"You and Kat?" Ethan snickered.

"So?" Don pressed.

"Yes! Yes, we are...a...couple...as you would put it," Slender held up his hands to stop any further questions or teasing.

"Hooray!" Ria cheered.

"I'm so happy for you, Brother! How sweet," Splendy clapped his hands.

"Be silent, Splendor! I do not want to hear about this all the time from the lot of you, understand?" Slender hissed, looking around at them all.

Everyone nodded. They all calmed down after the confirmation of Slenders feelings. He and Splendy stayed until the morning nurses started coming in. Ria was told almost right away that she had to stay for a bit longer. The damage to her lungs still worried the doctors. They had her breathe with a nebulizer to clear out the gunk that was left behind. They hooked Kat up to a similar machine while she slept. The curtain ended up surrounding their friend again. Aldrich dropped by with a small stack of folders around noon. He went through each one with them, asking questions and filling in blanks he'd left on the reports he'd made. Ria was terribly bored by the time he was done. Don and Ethan looked like they wanted to choke the man.

After the questioning and writing was done, Aldrich lightened up. He sat back and relaxed with the younger people, chatting with them about every day things, like what they were going to do first when they got out of the hospital. Ethan said he just wanted some good food. By good he meant fast food like what he could get at the restaurants just a few blocks away. Don wanted to get back to his job, which was going to be sad for Ria. He couldn't afford to lose this job now. He's only just gotten it. Ria wanted to go home and enjoy a hot bath, and Splendy, though she didn't dare tell Aldrich this. The man gathered his things to leave around three o' clock.

"Hey..." Kat's scratchy voice came from the other side of the curtain.

Aldrich pulled the curtain aside a bit as he made his way toward the door. Don and Ethan rushed to his sides to see the girl. The detective smiled at Kat.

"Get well soon," he said as he left.

"She's awake?" Ria asked.

"Yeah," Don answered.

He closed the door while Ethan moved the curtain.

"You really like to walk on the wild side, don't you?" Ria laughed.

"Yeah...born to be wiiii-illld..." Kat croaked.

After Ria told Kat the extent of her damage, Slender and Splendy returned. Kat explained Ramel to them all. She told them that he was her guardian, and that he'd been teaching her to sense things the way she did. She said he'd left her to lean on her own, as that was how he thought she would develop best. Ria didn't think that was so smart. Slender and Splendy had done a far better job of teaching them both and in a very short amount of time. Ria didn't voice this idea to the other girl. Kat soon found out that they all knew about her and Slenderman being together. She wasn't nearly as disturbed by it as he had been. Ria was glad at least on of them could take things in stride.

By the next morning, Ria knew she had missed something in her sleep. Kat was up and moving about like she'd never been so much as scratched. Kat told her that Ramel had paid a visit and taken care of most of the damage to her body. Ria was slightly jealous. She was permitted to leave that day, but she didn't have someone to just make her better...not that she really needed it, but still. Ria received a hug from Kat just before she left the room. She listened to doctors and nurses argue with her down the hall about staying. Kat won in the end, and was allowed to go with as much protest as the staff could offer.

"Can't ever do things the easy way, can you?" Ria asked, watching Kat in the parking lot.

Ria sat up and peered out the window suspiciously. Aldrich had bumped right into Kat who had had he head tilted toward the sky. It looked like they'd exchanged some short words. Aldrich looked surprised when he saw who it was he'd collided with. Kat walked away quickly. Aldrich raised a hand as if to stop her, or call out, but he made no move. He watched Kat until she was gone from sight around a corner. Ria blinked at he scene. What was that all about?


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: Hey all you Slender lovers! I know, it's been awhile, but it seems writer's block is giving me a short reprieve. I asked for your help and you guys came through with so many flying colors even Rainbow Dash and Splendorman couldn't handle it all! Thank you guys so much! I apologize, please don't be offended if your character didn't make it, but I had a lot to choose from and there were so many female submissions, but I only needed two. Special thanks in this chapter to cyndermetaknight for Bethanie, I Am Katniss Everdeen for Jhakob, and to the guest who sent in Alex! More of the newer characters to come in the future! Shout outs:**

**SixxEclipses – Your review sounded something like a poem, was that intentional.**

**DreamingMyDreams – Aldrich is quite mysterious at this time, but sadly, most of his mystery will unfold in The Only.**

**ShadowX116 – It's not easy. I sometimes forget what one or the other has said or done, and have to look back at the other stories. The hardest part is making sure the time lines match up.**

**Kathryn – Thank ya much, Slenders doesn't appreciate being picked on...**

**Watersong77 – Glad you like it, it takes a lot outta me.**

**Around the World, Part 1**

Suitcases were being packed yet again in Ria's house. Ethan had gone back home with Donovan and was already looking for work. Ria was preparing for a trip all around the world with Splendorman. First stop, Britain. He had two friends there that she couldn't wait to meet. One was a guy, the other a girl, and both were supposed to meet them at the same place and time. Ria was so excited she could barely focus on what she was supposed to be doing. Splendy had to take over packing for her, this time loading up two suitcases. Ria sat on her bed, wiggling with joy.

"So, the guy's name is Jhakob, and the girl is Bethanie..." Ria went over the names of the people they were supposed to meet in her head.

"That's right," Splendy nodded.

"Bethanie is kinda shy, and Jhakob's kinda wary of new people...So they might be a little quiet at first?" Ria looked to her boyfriend for confirmation, which she received.

"That's right, but they should warm up quickly enough with me there. I've told them about you, just like with Yohan and Yosav. We'll have a good time," Splendy assured her.

Splendy finished the packing. He grunted as he shut the second suitcase and locked it. He sat beside Ria on the bed. Ria hugged him around the waist. Kat and Slenderman were going on a sort o vacation, too. Maybe they would travel as well. Kat had mentioned wanting to at some point.

Splendy had Ria outside the house a short while later, ready to go. They'd checked everything over a hundred times in the house before they'd finally locked the door. Ria had brought along all that she would need to continue her artwork while they were on the go. All the food in the fridge had been thrown out, and everything was cleaned and ready for the long time that Ria would be gone from the house. She's even paid off some of the bills early. The plan was to be gone for a month or so, so she couldn't risk having the utilities shut off.

Darkness surrounded them for just second and they were gone from the house. Ria opened her eyes to look at where Splendy had brought them. They were high up somewhere, in a very tall building or tower. Ria could see a city sprawling out all around them. Two people were there with them, one a young woman with short, dark hair and a man with long, dark hair. The girl looked slightly timid or shy, while the man seemed sort of cynical. Ria smiled at them both, as did Splendy. The girl smiled back first. She stepped forward around the taller man to greet the new arrivals.  
"I'm glad you made it, Splendy," the girl said softly.

"I promised you I'd be here at this time," Splendy hugged his friend.

"That you did. I'm guessing this is Ria?" the girl looked at Ria, a small smile playing on her lips.

"That's me," Ria held out her hand to the girl.

"Bethanie..." she shook the hand Ria offered.

The man stepped forward now, hugging Splendy shortly. He, too, shook Ria's hand.  
"I'm Jhakob," he said.

"I...like that name," Ria said..

"Thank you. Splendorman has told us a great deal about you. He said you are on a vacation..?" Jhakob looked up at Splendy.

"That's right," Splendy nodded.

"How did you guys meet Splendy?" Ria asked, trying to break the ice.

"I met him in the park one day, when I was all by myself. I was bored and he just appeared out of nowhere. He kept me company and made me laugh more than I even knew I could," Bethanie smiled fully now.

"That sounds about like my Splendy," Ria laughed.

"I met him one morning on the way to work. I was running late and in a horrible mood. Out of nowhere, he comes in and gives be a breakfast on the go and gets me to work right on time. I spent my lunch break talking to him and we've been good mates ever since," Jhakob smiled now.

"Aww, random acts of kindness turned into friendships. You're so nice!" Ria poked Splendy's arm.

The tall man blushed and pulled his hat down over his face. The three humans laughed. That laugh broke the ice and all tension between them melted away quickly. Ria looked out at the city below them. She felt a twinge in her stomach and backed up into her boyfriend.

"Fear of heights?" Bethanie asked.  
"Not usually..." Ria smiled nervously.

"Don't feel bad, I have claustrophobia...I can't ride in an elevator," Bethanie admitted.

"You took the stairs all the way up _here_?" Ria gawked at her.

"Yeah, it wasn't all bad," Bethanie shrugged.

"Where...are we exactly?" Ria asked.

"You've never heard of Big Ben?" Jhakob asked.

"_Big_ _Ben_?!" Ria whirled around with a huge grin on her face, "We're in Big Ben?"

Splendy nodded, "I wasn't sure where else I could start us off."

Ria nearly burst with excitement. She and her companions made their way down an empty staircase to the outside world. Splendy made himself invisible to everyone but the three he was with and walked beside them. Ria wanted to go sight seeing, so Bethanie and Jhakob had been deemed tour guides for the day. The plan was to go around to different shops and restaurants in the city. Ria wanted a taste of everything. Splendy took care of any traveling that was too far for them to walk. They went to see the Tower Bridge, then the London Eye, and eventually ended up at Buckingham Palace before they went to dinner. By the end of the day everyone was exhausted and had a smile plastered on their face. Splendy took Ria to a hotel where she learned Bethanie Jhakob were both staying.

They were all on the same floor and their rooms were right next to each others'. Ria said goodnight to her new friends and went to her own room where Splendy was happy to finally be able to reveal himself fully. Ria changed into her pajamas and flopped on the huge, comfy bed beside a half naked Splendy. Splendy had only his own pair of pajama bottoms on. He was sprawled out lazily beside her, his eyes closed, and his breathing shallow.

"Splendy...Today was amazing!" Ria smiled.

Her eyes closed, too. They hadn't bothered to turn the lights on so the darkness was pushing them both to sleep. Splendy gathered the last of his strength to pull Ria and himself under the blankets. Ria cuddled up to him.

"I'm glad you had fun, Ria. Tomorrow will be just as fun, I promise. After tomorrow, we're going to France," Splendy said.

"France? Why so soon?" Ria yawned.

"My friend there needs me. We'll come back here sometime before we go home. I hope you don't mind," Splendy yawned, too.

"Not at all, Sweety. If someone needed me, I'd want to be there to help them out," Ria whispered.

"Thank you Ria..." Splendy fell asleep.

Ria fell asleep shortly after Splendy did. They were both awake and back in their friends' company by eleven the next morning. Bethanie and Jhakob led Ria and Splendy to Hyde Park. The sheer size of it was enough to amaze Ria. No park where she lived had a lake. Splendy and Jhakob set up a picnic at noon while Ria and Bethanie tossed a frisbee around. After lunch, Jhakob got in on the game. Splendy caught the disc a few times when no one was around to see. Ria cracked up at the sight of him running after it in his suit. Splendy was handy when it came to stopping the frisbee when it went to high or too far. He would stretch out one of his extras or telelport to get the frisbee when it got away from them.

After their games and lunch in the park, the group walked around the city. Ria couldn't get enough of the shops. She didn't buy anything, but she was just fine with window shopping until her eyes fell out of her head. By dinner time everyone was once again very tired. They all trooped back to the hotel and shared a large room service dinner together in Ria and Splendy's room. Ria tried treacle pudding for the first time and loved it. She vowed to learn to make it and have Don and the others try some. Dinner was followed by a few movies and the movies were followed by a nighttime walk under the city's lights. Ria was mesmerized by the sights and sounds that the place produced even after dark.

Towards midnight Splendy announced that it was time for them to go. Ria was hardly ready to leave but she, Bethanie, and Jhakob promised each other they'd meet again soon enough. Ria hugged her new friends goodbye, as did Splendy, and they were off once more. Ria blinked as the darkness faded from around them. She gasped openly when she saw where they were. The Eiffel Tower loomed over them, blocking most of the sky from view, not that Ria gave a damn about the sky right then.

Splendy stood next to Ria, hidden from everyone else save one red haired young man. Ria watched as the boy came running up to them, smiling sheepishly. He halted in front of Ria. His bright green eyes looked from her then up to Splendy briefly. He smiled a little more when Splendy grinned down at him.

"I'm _so_ glad you're here!" he said softly.

"I told you if you needed me, I would come to you," Splendy patted his head shortly.

"Is this...Ria?" the boy asked, looking to the older girl.  
"That it is," Ria grinned.

"It's nice to meet you," he blushed, "I'm Alex."

"It's nice to meet you, too. So, what's wrong?" Ria asked, remembering why Splendy had told her they had come here.

"Ah...That is...there was some trouble at home. I just needed to get away from it for a while, but I'm too afraid to go to the country house by myself," Alex blushed even more than before.

"Was there a fight?" Ria asked.

"My mom and dad...I think they're going to separate. I didn't want to be around all the yelling," Alex sighed.

"Well, we're here now. Don't you worry," Ria patted his shoulder.

Unexpectedly, Alex and Ria hugged. Ria couldn't help but feel bad for the boy. He seemed so sweet and timid. Splendy wrapped his arms around them both in an invisible hug. They pulled apart after a short while and turned to face the city. Alex had some of his things ready to go at his home. Splendy took them there and he and Ria waited outside for him to get what he needed. They could hear shouting and a small crash like glass on the floor.

Ria looked up at Splendy nervously. He gave her a small smile in return. Alex exited the house quickly, heaving a large bag on his back. Splendy removed it from his clutches and whisked them away to a dirt road that led up to a dark house. Ria let her eyes adjust while Alex unlocked the door. There were fields surrounding most of the house and a large forest on the other side of the road. She smelled the fresh air. Even at night, it was fragrant and soothing. It was no wonder why Alex wanted to come here to get away from it all.

Alex gave them a tour of the cozy little house. Downstairs there was the kitchen, a toilet, and a family room. Upstairs were three bedrooms and a bath. The house was decorated with homey, country feeling objects like a wagon wheel and milk buckets. There were drying flowers and plants hung upside down on nearly every wall. The whole place smelled wonderful. A fireplace filled the family room with warmth and a comforting glow. Alex set each of them up a comfortable seat near the fire and found a bag of marshmallows and some cocoa for them.

"I'm sorry about your parents, Alex," Splendy put his arm around the boy.

Alex stared into the flames with a soft smile, "It's alright, Splendorman. I've at least got a few friends I can count on."

"That's right," Ria nodded.

She moved ho put her arm around Alex as well. He was tense for a moment, but relaxed eventually into both of his friends. They sat in front of the fire sipping their hot chocolate and roasting the marshmallows until both humans fell asleep. Splendy made a sort of nest on the floor and cuddled Ria to his side with Alex on the sofa behind his head. Ria nuzzled his chest in her sleep. They all rested peacefully in the comfortable little house.

Ria and Splendy spent four days with Alex. They bounced all around the countryside, sampling the life and culture wherever they went. Ria particularly enjoyed their visit to Bordeaux and the stop at a chocolatier's shop. She could have spent forever trying all the sweets and goodies the place provided. Alex and Splendy were very amused by her large bag of almost every kind of treat the place offered. Ria didn't care what they thought, there was no better chocolate in the world as far as she was concerned.

The time with Alex was great, but it had to end eventually. Four days was enough for him to feel better and regain enough confidence to return home. On a positive note, his parents had been so worried about him, they'd stopped fighting for once in a long time. When he came home everything seemed like it was going to be alright. Ria and Splendy were glad that their friend was going to be alright. They watched his reunion with his parents through a window before they headed off to find some of Splendy's other friends.  
"Splendy?" Ria kissed his cheek.

She was on his back at the moment. He was carrying her through a large field of wheat in the moonlight. He was tall enough that her feet didn't even brush the top of the wheat. He turned his head to look at her. His skin looked as if it was glowing in the light of the moon.

"Yes, Ria?" he smiled.

"You're a really amazing guy. I bet you'll have hundreds of friends in no time," Ria smiled back.

"I hope you're right," Splendy gazed up at the stars.

"You're off to a good start," Ria cuddled close to his back.

Splendy smiled up at the sky. Ria looked to the stars again. They shone down brightly on the couple. Ria found a few bright starts and thought of each one as a friend she and Splendorman now had. There were more to come. More friends, and apparently more adventures.


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: I know, I've been gone for a grip. I have a good excuse, I've been sick and left town for a while. Also, the writer's block that I've been staving off finally won out, and I only just got over it...Any of you who see me on Deviantart already know, but many of you don't...I am ending Slender What? At chapter 35...So, soon shall end this story's life. But, there WILL be a sequel. Shouts outs:**

**Watersong77 – A what plushie?**

**ShadowX116 – Working on it.**

**Splendyandslendy – What has upset you, darlin'?**

**DreamingMyDreams – I liked that scene, too. I'm going to draw it once I get back into the art groove.**

**Guest – Yeah, well, the British parts were taken, so he got France.**

**Cyndermetaknight – Funny, neither have I.**

**Glustora – Oms noms noms!**

**Around The World, Part 2**

The next stop on Splendorman and Ria's list was Berlin, Germany. They were going to meet a young lady named Alice. Ria couldn't help but think of references from "Alice in Wonderland" despite her best efforts not to. She voiced this to Splendy, who simply laughed and told her to keep that quiet from Alice. Ria agreed, of course, but the thought of meeting someone out of a fairytale was an interesting one. When Ria thought about it a little more she realized that she was dating someone that was just as good as a fairytale character.

It was late in the day when they arrived in Berlin. Ria walked through the streets with Splendy at her side, invisible to the rest of the world. He guided her to an acorn wood and down a long path to a small river. There was a tiny rock outcropping that went a little ways over the river. On the rock sat a young woman who looked rather bored. He long, black hair hung down her back and made her pale skin stand out. Black eyes locked on Ria as she approached. Ria could see that the girl was already wary of her. Her face was straight but Ria could sense the tension that was building.  
"W-who are you?" the girl asked.  
"This is Ria!" Splendy revealed himself to the girl, giving her a huge smile and a wave.

The girl, who Ria now knew must have been Alice, looked up at Splendy for a short while before she smiled at him. Splendy bent down to hug her quickly. He nudged Ria forward to introduce herself.

"Hi, you're Alice, right?" Ria asked, holding out a hand for her to shake.

Alice shook the hand she offered, "Yeah, it's nice to meet you. Splendy talks about you all the time when he visits."

"It seems that's a worldwide trend. I'm practically famous," Ria rolled her eyes and grinned.

"I guess so," Alice smiled a little.  
"Alice, Ria hasn't ever traveled outside of her own country before. Would you be interested in giving her a tour?" Splendy asked, trying to break the awkward tension.

"Sure," Alice nodded.

She led them away back to the city. After a visit to the park they hit up a few local museums. Ria loved the history and culture there. Splendy stayed invisible to the general population, but it didn't stop him from playing hide and seek with the girls in the museums. He would hide down hallways, or behind the exhibits and have Ria and Alice search for him. The games went on like that for a few hours until they were booted from the museums for being too rowdy. Being kicked out didn't bother the trio one bit. They walked almost every street in the city and went to nearly every historical landmarks the city held.

After all the late day roaming and being chased by numerous guards, Alice took them back to the place where they had met for a nice picnic under the moon. The river sparkled in the moonlight and gave the place an enchanted look. Ria marveled at the sight before her until Splendy caught her as she tripped. She grinned sheepishly up at him.  
"Thanks..."  
Ria, Alice, and Splendy stayed out almost all night. The horizon was just beginning to get a little brighter when they finally parted ways. Alice went home, she insisted that they not walk her there, and Ria and Splendy went to a quaint little motel. Splendy covered the expenses and stayed hidden while Ria parroted his words so she could get the room. She didn't know any German, so she sounded very much like a tourist when she tried to copy what her boyfriend was telling her to say. By the end of their fifth day in Germany, Ria was actually beginning to learn and remember a few phrases. Alice helped her practice and even taught her a little dancing.

Ria was sad when it came time to go. Splendy promised both her and Alice that they would meet again. Alice and Ria hugged for the thousandth time before Splendy took himself and Ria away again. Ria didn't have long to be sad about their departure. When the darkness around them faded away she immediately knew where they were. India.

It was seemingly late at night as the pair made their way through the streets. They were met outside of a large building by a tall man dressed in earthy tones. His dark eyes glittered mysteriously in the faint moonlight. He greeted Splendorman with a little warmth, and gave Ria a long look while the taller man introduced them. Once he'd finished staring, he smiled and shook Ria's hand in greeting. Ria smiled tentatively at him. He was rather unlike Splendy's other friends. Ria wasn't sure if she liked him or not. She didn't get the chance to decide right away. Doyal, as he'd been introduced, took them to a small house on the better side of town. Apparently, this man was as well off as one could be in that city. Whatever city that was. Ria and Splendy went to bed that night in the little guest room the house had. Doyal agreed to take them out sight seeing and whatnot the next day. Ria lay in yet another foreign bed beside her love and wondered about everyone back home. It felt like they'd been gone only a few days, but it also felt like they'd been gone forever.

"Splendy?" Ria sat halfway up to see his face in the dark.

"Hm?" Splendy was nearly asleep already.  
"Do you think everyone's doing alright back home?" Ria asked.  
"I guess so. I haven't heard any bad news from my brother. Haven't you been writing them?" Splendy rubbed his eyes.

"I have. Don said work's fine and Ethan's ok, but they haven't seen Kat or Slenderman for a while. It's been roughly two weeks since we split..." Ria said.

"It has. But we've gone an entire month without seeing those two. Has my brother responded to you when you write to him?" he asked.

"Yeah. He said that they'd gone on a vacation...And he had a few things to deal with so he didn't have time for idle chat," Ria smiled.

"That sounds like him," Splendy chuckled lightly.

"How can one guy, who people hardly even know about besides as a cheesy game character, get into so much trouble?" Ria shook her head.  
"He has help," Splendy snickered.

"Oh, right," Ria laughed now.

Ria rested well, imagining Slenderman and Kat out on a vacation somewhere. She was looking forward to more exploring around the world, but she would be glad when she made it home.

Doyal was a good host, despite his quiet and mysterious nature. He took Ria and Splendy all around the local markets to shop and sample the local foods. Ria wasn't very keen on the things like scorpions and crickets, but the vegetables weren't bad. After three days of Indian culture, Ria found herself obsessed with the clothing and had a new passion for belly dancing. Splendy had no problem with her new interests at all. Ria looked beautiful in her new Indian clothing, and her belly dancing skills, mixed with the few moves Alice had been able to teach her, were coming along nicely. Ria nearly died of laughter when Splendy joined her at nigh to dance. It probably wouldn't have been as funny if he hadn't chosen to wear the female outfit, like hers.

After India's charm and allure had worn off, Splendy moved them on to their second to last location in Tokyo, Japan. Ria had now had to buy a new suitcase to hold all of her new items. The clerk at the hotel in Tokyo gave Ria an odd look when she checked in. Ria knew she must have looked funny carrying three suitcases in her hands. Splendy met up with her in the room. He apologized profusely for not being able to hold the bags for her. Ria just laughed it off. It was so cute the way he made a fuss over her.

"After this we go back to London, right?" Ria sat on the bed.

"Right. Bethanie and Jhakob are expecting us in four days," Splendy nodded.

He was already putting her things away in the dresser the hotel provided. Ria looked out of the window to the Tokyo Tower. The city was beautiful in the twilight. Manga and anime really couldn't do the place justice. The lights and the architecture were stunning. Splendy joined her at the window, smiling out at the city. The colors reflected and sparkled in Splendy's eyes. Ria became lost in them for a while.

"Where do you want to go first?" Splendy asked.

"I don't know. I guess food would be a nice start. My diet's gonna be all screwy when we go home," Ria leaned against him.

"Well, I could bring you some of the foods you like every now and again," Splendy offered.

"That'd be nice. But don't go out of your way too much. I can settle for cheap imitations from Wegman's or something," Ria said.

Splendy laughed. They stood at the window for a while longer, holding one another and kissing every so often. Ria was nibbling on Splendy's neck when a knock at the door caused them both to jump slightly. Ria blinked up at her boyfriend. He grinned down at her and nudged her toward the door.

"Yes..?" Ria poked her head out into the hallway.

She was greeted by a young man with black hair and soft, blue eyes. He had a kind and gentle look to him, despite the fact that the arms sticking out of his t-shirt looked powerful. He smiled at Ria and Ria couldn't help but smile back. The man held up a large paper bag.

"Are you hungry?" he asked pleasantly.

"Uh...yeah..." Ria opened the door.

"My name is Takashi. Splendorman asked me to meet you here," the man said.

"Oh, _awesome_!" Ria let him in, "Splendy, you didn't tell me someone was coming here right away."

Splendy laughed, "Surprise."

"It's good to see you again, Splendor," Takashi set the bag of delicious smelling food on the table.

"And it's good to see you, Takashi! I hope all has been well?" Splendy hugged the shorter man.

"It has. I'm glad you finally brought Miss Ria to see me. I've been anxious to have a visit with the both of you," Takashi opened the bag and began setting out different cartons and foam boxes.

Takashi opened the boxes to reveal the piles of meats, rice, and fish inside. He doled out some for both himself and Ria, Splendy declined the food, and they ate while they talked about what they were going to do the next day. Ria was excited to visit comic and art shops. She also wanted to see some of the famous artists houses that were near or in the city. When Takashi revealed that he was a practicing swordsman, Ria knew she had to see him in action, and try it for herself. Kat was going to be immensely jealous of her when she told her all that she had done. Don and Ethan were already jealous. Ria had had to make sure to buy them each one souvenir from every country they visited.

The four days with Takashi were interesting and fun to say the least. He was always calm, helpful, and kind. He obliged Ria in allowing her to learn a few very basic moves with a katana. He was impressed with her willingness to learn, and her skills as an artist. Ria was impressed and embarrassed when he told her he'd seen her work. After the four days had flown by, Ria was once again torn between feeling homesick and feeling like she wanted to stay. She and Splendy made more promises to visit again as they departed for Britain.

Bethanie and Jhakob were waiting for them in a museum this time. They carried on sight seeing and playing around together for three more days until it was finally time for Splendy and Ria to go back home.

Ria now had four bags to take with her. One was completely full of gifts for her brother, Ethan, Slender, and Kat. Ria carried two of the bags while Splendy insisted on carrying the other two. The house was dark and completely silent upon their return. Ria and Splendy set the things they'd brought down in their bedroom and went back down to the living room to catch the news. Surely if there had been any more trouble it would be on the news. Ria made it almost all the way through the broadcast calmly until an urgent message was shown. Ria knew she'd been gone for nearly a month, as the beginning of August was upon them, but she'd never thought that anyone could get in trouble so much as Kat was now.

"This just in;The lead F.B.I. investigator on the murder case of a Bemus Point man has gone missing as of three days ago. After searching his vehicles, home, and the hotel where he was supposed to have been staying, fellow agents and local police in western New York can find no trace of Agent Aldrich Hobbes. The F.B.I. is still searching for any clues as to his whereabouts and ask that anyone with information on him should call into the private tip line. You can find that number on our website," Ria's mouth fell open, "The only thing that police believe they are certain of at this time is of the involvement of Carissa Ferrer, also known as Kat. She is suspected and wanted for questioning about the murder of her father, and is now the prime suspect in Hobbes' disappearance."

Ria shut the T.V. off ad dropped the remote on the couch. Splendy had sunk to his knees, leaning heavily on the couch. His mouth and eyes were wide open in shock. He spluttered for words, but nothing ever came out. Had Kat or Slenderman really done something to make Aldrich Hobbes disappear?! Ria blinked her eyes a few times. What the hell were they doing?

"Relax, it's not _all_ bad," Kat's voice sad lazily from behind them.

Ria and Splendy spun around to face not only Kat, dressed in all black, but Slenderman, and another young man. Ria gawked at them for a long moment.

"What did you do?!"


End file.
